Senior Legal Counsel, Global Brands & Marketing

Pernod Ricard•New York, NY

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Legal Counsel, Global Brands & Marketing will be a key member of Pernod Ricard’s global brand marketing legal team, providing practical legal guidance across brand marketing, innovation, and commercial activity. This role will advise on new product development, global campaigns, marketing asset development, digital and social media content, talent engagements, product and design collaborations, sponsorships, events, external agency partnerships, and related brand initiatives. Reporting to the Global Brands & Marketing Legal Director, this role will partner closely with lawyers, marketing and innovation teams, and key stakeholders across the Pernod Ricard Group. The position will have a primary focus on American Whiskey and Agave brands and will serve as the legal lead for domestic U.S. marketing advice related to those brands. This is a strong opportunity for a commercially minded lawyer who enjoys working close to the business, advising on creative brand and marketing activity, and helping teams move quickly while managing legal risk thoughtfully.

Requirements

Juris Doctor from an accredited law school and admission to at least one U.S. state bar required; New York bar admission preferred.
6+ years of relevant legal experience, ideally including both law firm and in-house experience.
Experience advising marketing, advertising, brand, innovation, commercial, sponsorship, talent, agency, licensing, or related business teams.
Experience with alcohol beverage law, consumer packaged goods, regulated consumer products, or other highly regulated industries preferred.
Experience advising on U.S. marketing activity, product claims, sustainability claims, protected product classes, product classification, or other regulated consumer-facing claims preferred.
Experience working in or supporting a multinational organization strongly preferred.
Strong commercial judgment with the ability to provide practical, business-oriented legal advice in a fast-moving environment.
Ability to build trusted relationships and collaborate effectively with internal stakeholders, external counsel, suppliers, agencies, and cross-functional partners.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to advise, train, and influence stakeholders at varying levels of seniority.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize competing demands across multiple teams, brands, affiliates, and projects.
Agile learning mindset with the ability to build knowledge beyond law, including technical, operational, commercial, and financial matters.
Willingness to embrace new ways of working, continuous improvement, and digital transformation.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing external counsel is a plus.
Prior non-legal business experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

Support the Global Brands & Marketing Legal Director in managing the global marketing legal support model, which includes lawyers based across multiple locations.
Help implement and improve ways of working, harmonized processes, and systems that enable strong communication, transparency, and alignment within the team and with key stakeholders.
Contribute to a team culture focused on efficiency, business partnership, continuous improvement, and high-quality legal support.
Provide legal guidance on brand marketing-related contracts and initiatives, including sponsorships, events, talent engagements, collaborations, brand licensing, agency agreements, headquarters initiatives, and innovation projects.
Advise on legal requirements related to brand and product claims on packaging and marketing materials, including protected product classes, production requirements, sustainability claims, product classification, and brand history claims.
Serve as the legal lead for domestic U.S. marketing advice related to American Whiskey and Agave brand activity, with the scope evolving based on global brand expansion and broader legal team needs.
Advise on legal matters related to marketing, innovation, and business stakeholder questions, including dispute-related matters as needed.
Manage external counsel as needed to ensure high-quality, efficient, and cost-effective legal support.
Help identify and implement process improvements, tools, and resources that strengthen the legal support model for marketing and innovation teams.
Support special projects, including the development of online resources and digital self-service legal tools.
Consult with key stakeholders, including the Senior Legal Team, on legal risk acceptance, legal strategy, and relevant business activity.
Communicate with the wider business, including Pernod Ricard headquarters, brand owners, external counsel, and other departments, and provide training where needed.
Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of contracts, cases, and projects, and prepare regular legal reports for key stakeholders.
Maintain legal templates and tools and support the broader continuous improvement strategy for the legal function.