Legal Counsel - Fondation CHANEL

About Us

Created in 2011, Fondation CHANEL (the “Fondation”) is a corporate foundation aiming for women and girls to be free to shape their own destiny. We work in partnership with nonprofit organisations, international organisations, alliances, academic and research institutions, social businesses and other charitable funds and foundations to address the overlapping discriminations against women and young girls and advance gender equality. The foundation is guided by a set of core values which lie at the heart of the way in which it carries out its work, both internally and externally with its grantee partners: trust, humility, attentiveness to power and privilege, holistic thinking, collaboration, learning, and supporting sustainable change. Fondation CHANEL is committed to diversity, equality, and inclusion and to building a collaborative work environment where everyone can perform at their best and feel fulfilled and confident in their work.

WHY THIS ROLE MATTERS

The Legal Counsel role will be joining a Legal team consisting of one senior lawyer and one paralegal, who are responsible for the management of all legal, regulatory and compliance matters relating to the Fondation’s operations across over 60 countries worldwide. We are looking for an energetic lawyer to join our dynamic team, where you will have the opportunity to work on challenging and meaningful work as part of an innovative and ambitious growing organisation. The Legal Counsel’s principal role will be to support the Managing Counsel with compliance and governance matters as well as the legal support for grant making activities globally. The role will lead (with the support of the paralegal) on the drafting and negotiation all grant agreements and commercial contracts for each of the regions. This is a role that blends social justice purpose with corporate foundation rigour—supporting the Fondation teams delivering its mission in compliance with all relevant laws and best practice.

Key Responsibilities

• Legal Partner to the Fondation teams: Being a reliable and trusted partner to each of the Programmes Teams and Finance Business Partners across the UK, Europe, US, Asia and Africa & Middle East regions. Being an agile negotiator, solution provider and advisor, able to communicate clearly with all our internal stakeholders. Handling a wide range of legal issues, relating to company law in the UK, charity law in the UK (and Charity Commission guidance), U.S. 501(c)(3) not‑for‑profit regulations, sanctions, anti‑money laundering, anti‑bribery, modern slavery and data privacy laws.
• Compliance and risk management: Advising on compliance related partner due diligence and ensuring the global due diligence process complies with charity law in the UK and U.S. not‑for‑profit laws. Collaborate actively and collectively with the Fondation teams to identify and manage compliance and legal risks across the portfolio. Advising on all aspects of charity law and regulation in the UK and working closely with the programmatic teams to balance legal risks with delivering the mission of the Fondation. Monitor, interpret and advise the Fondation team on new legislation, and regulations that apply to or could impact Fondation across the countries where it operates. Assisting with the design and delivery of legal training sessions and organising training sessions with local counsel where required. Ensuring data privacy compliance working closely with the Chanel data privacy team. Managing the sanctions and compliance checks globally and maintaining the Fondation compliance register.
• Grant Agreements and Commercial Contracts: Lead on updating the suite of legal templates to support the activities and grant‑making of the Fondation. Advising and negotiating commercial contracts, including partnership agreements, contractor agreements and providing guidance to the Paralegal on the drafting of complex grant agreements to ensure the Fondation’s funds, mission and reputation are protected. Leading on the contract and legal processes including developing a contract policy, knowledge base management and our exploration and use of technologies. Regular legal horizon scanning to review and update commercial contracts and grant agreements to reflect changes in the law. Develop relationships with Chanel legal team on best practice and legal updates to commercial contracts including data privacy, AI, data security and insurance.
• Governance: Support the Managing Counsel with corporate secretarial duties relating to the Fondation; including drafting board resolutions and other corporate governance documents as well as supporting needs around required regulatory filings and supporting board committees. Managing the Fondation trustee and staff conflicts of interest register. Managing the coordination of immigration law and visa advice to the Fondation teams.
• Team and Operations: Collaborating with the finance and operations team to develop processes relating to contracts, legal processes and procurement. Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive team culture that aligns with Fondation CHANEL’s commitment to empowerment and equity. Encourage cross‑regional collaboration and sharing of best practices within the global Fondation CHANEL team. Provide day to day guidance and advice to the paralegal.

What You Will Bring To The Role

• Qualified with the Law Society in England & Wales, but qualification in other European or Commonwealth jurisdictions with international experience may be considered.
• 3 to 6 PQE, with combined experience in law firm and/or in‑house legal department with strong experience in compliance, commercial contracts and company law.
• Not‑for‑profit experience and experience in charity law is preferable or the ambition to undertake additional training in this area.
• Tech savviness, familiar with and interested in technical concepts and curious about use of new technologies and AI.
• Ability to work independently, think creatively and manage multiple tasks concurrently.
• Strong competence in spotting legal and operational issues and with a global mindset.
• Experience working with teams across different time zones.
• Ability to work effectively in cross‑cultural and cross‑functional teams.
• Fluency in English; other languages desirable, particularly French, Spanish, and/or relevant regional languages.
• Curious, open‑minded, flexible, self‑aware, and able to multi‑task in a fast‑paced environment.
• Commitment to Fondation CHANEL’s values of empowerment, inclusion, and equity.
• Excellent judgement and ability to prioritise and manage deadlines and approval in a fast‑paced work environment.
• Highly responsive and strong team player, with a strong ability to adapt in a quickly changing legal environment, with strong empathy and ready to go the extra mile when needed.

YOU ARE ENERGISED BY

• Building strong collaborative relationships across organisations.
• Combining the delivery of legal advice with applying strategic insight and operational excellence.
• Collaborating with diverse, cross‑cultural, and cross‑functional teams, and mentoring other roles within the team.
• Exercising curiosity, open‑mindedness, and flexibility in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment, and demonstrating empathy, humility, and strong interpersonal skills.

What Fondation Chanel Can Offer You

• Contributing to and learning from a values‑driven, purpose‑led organisation that is committed to equity, inclusion, and supporting sustainable change.
• Deep expertise working for a global foundation operating across the world leading on international grant‑making processes and diverse legal contexts.
• Collaboration with cross functional teams within the Fondation as well as Legal teams at Chanel.
• Be part of a dynamic, collaborative, and forward‑thinking Fondation team with a compelling mission.
• The opportunity to immerse yourself in the Fondation to help strengthen processes, ways of working, and grant‑making effectiveness.
• Support for professional growth, ongoing learning, and development in a global, multi‑sectoral setting.

At Fondation CHANEL, we are committed to creating an inclusive culture that nurtures personal growth and collective progress. We celebrate the uniqueness of every individual and strongly encourage your application, valuing the perspective, experience, and potential you bring. If you have the experience outlined above and are curious about this high impact and collaborative opportunity with Fondation CHANEL, please register your interest by submitting your CV and motivation letter.