Legal Director, APAC

Who We Are: At Brooks, we believe movement is the key to feeling more alive. That’s why we’re driven to create gear and experiences that take people to the place that makes them feel more alive — whether it’s a headspace, a feeling, or a finish line.   Everyone who works at Brooks is propelled by a company culture that sparks excitement, fuels collaboration, inspires creativity, and ignites innovation.   Our brand values help bond us together and drive our success:   ·       Runner First   We act in the best interest of the runner   ·       Word is Bond  We do what we say we’ll do   ·       Champion Heart   We give our all in everything we do     ·       There is no “I” in Run We stay generous with our humanity   ·       Keep Moving We find ways to move every day, because joy is kinetic!   We welcome everyone from every walk of life looking to inspire others through the power of movement — because we’re all moving towards something. Let’s run there.    Your Job:   We are looking for an experienced legal professional to build and lead the Legal function for Brooks and our expanding operations in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. This pivotal role will be responsible for establishing robust legal operations, providing strategic legal leadership, and ensuring compliance across the region.  Initially, the Legal Director will be instrumental in setting up all core legal processes and systems.     The Legal Director, APAC will be an integral part of the business, providing counsel and guidance on a variety of legal and business issues to protect the company’s interests and manage day-to-day legal functions.   This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of a leading global brand in a key strategic region. Your Responsibilities:

APAC responsibilities:

Lead, establish, and implement legal processes and policies for the region from the ground up.

Lead and oversee all anti-counterfeiting operations for the region; develop and implement comprehensive and market-specific tactics, utilizing expertise from outside counsel, law enforcement, and U.S. inhouse attorneys as needed. Ensure alignment with global, legal strategic objectives.   

Direct and manage legal aspects of all APAC marketing operations, ensuring compliance with local regulations while driving strategic marketing and legal initiatives

Lead all commercial contract operations for this region by establishing contract management processes and overseeing vendor, supplier, and retailer relationships. Ensure compliance with internal controls such as signing authority and use of chops.

Lead and implement Brooks' ethics and compliance programs in the region, including fielding day-to-day questions from employees on conflicts of interest, gifts, and/or FCPA (anti-bribery, anti-corruption) topics and training employees on policies and programs.

Oversee and manage all employment matters for APAC operations. Provide advice and counsel to the APAC HR Team.

Manage outside counsel work and monitor related budgets.

Lead the company's government relations efforts in APAC to build relationships with government officials, regulators and policymakers to act as a crucial bridge between the government to manage risks and advance Brooks’ strategic goals.  .

Work collaboratively with global legal team, including communicating closely with specialists in IP, Employment, Marketing, Contracts, Compliance, and Corporate Governance to align on overall company legal strategy and practices while adopting a regional approach.

Willingness to travel between APAC and US offices as needed (up to 15-20% travel).

Ability to work flexible hours to accommodate cross-time zone collaboration.

Strategy and Risk Management Responsibilities

Define, implement and oversee all legal operations for the APAC region, including regulatory compliance, risk assessments, and legal infrastructure

Take full responsibility for legal risk management across all APAC jurisdictions

Drive strategic legal initiatives that support the company's rapid growth trajectory in APAC markets

Lead risk assessments for new business initiatives, market expansion, and strategic partnerships

Demonstrate unwavering commitment to upholding Brooks’ values and ethical standards in all business dealings and extreme enterprise accountability and managing the Legal function.

Manage the legal budget for the region and oversee outside counsel relationships and related expenditures.

China-specific responsibilities:

Lead and direct all legal operations for China, establishing comprehensive legal infrastructure and managing all regulatory compliance requirements.

Serve as a liaison between Brooks’ global Legal team and local China team.

Establish and manage comprehensive regulatory compliance programs covering all Chinese legal requirements affecting Brooks' footwear and apparel business, including import/export regulations, employment law, privacy, pricing, marketing, environmental laws, product safety, and labeling. Ensure full regulatory adherence.

Ensure compliance with laws applicable to Brooks' operations in China, with particular focus on anti-corruption laws including FCPA and Chinese anti-bribery regulations.

Qualifications:

Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited US law school or LLM from an accredited US law school

Legal Profession Qualification Certificate (法律职业资格证书) from the Ministry of Justice of the People's Republic of China

12+ years of experience as an attorney

7+ years in-house experience (preference for previous experience at a high-growth, U.S.-based company selling consumer goods in China

Fluent written and spoken language skills in both Mandarin and English (absolute must); Experience translating legal concepts between US and Chinese contexts effectively; Understanding of both US and Chinese business cultures, practices, and negotiation styles; Proven ability to navigate complex cross-cultural business environments

Experience in the consumer goods, retail, or footwear/apparel industry preferred

Exceptional diplomatic skills with ability to build trust across cultural and organizational boundaries; Strong conflict resolution abilities and experience mediating between competing priorities; Excellent interpersonal skills that inspire trust resulting in effective working relationships

Excellent judgment and decision-making capabilities in ambiguous situations

Ability to work independently while maintaining close coordination with the global legal team

Proactive problem-solving approach with attention to detail

Excellent active listening skills with the ability to communicate complex legal analysis and risk assessments with confidence to key stakeholders and motivate them to take appropriate actions

Ability to achieve optimum legal and business outcomes in a timely manner by focusing on key objectives, seeking efficient legal solutions, prioritizing multiple matters and issues, providing options-based legal advice when appropriate and avoiding unnecessary disputes