Pursue a strategic and impactful legal career by exploring Senior Legal Counsel - Merchandise Contracting jobs. This senior in-house role sits at the critical intersection of law, commerce, and brand strategy, providing essential legal guidance for the development, sourcing, and sale of physical products. Professionals in this field act as key business partners, ensuring that all merchandise-related activities are legally sound, mitigate risk, and support commercial objectives. They are the cornerstone of a company's ability to bring goods to market efficiently and safely. The core responsibility of a Senior Legal Counsel specializing in merchandise contracting is drafting, negotiating, and managing a high volume of complex commercial agreements. This typically includes master supply agreements, manufacturing and production contracts, vendor and supplier terms, licensing agreements for branded merchandise, quality assurance agreements, and logistics contracts. They ensure these documents address critical issues such as intellectual property ownership, product safety and compliance, indemnification, liability caps, confidentiality, and ethical sourcing standards. Beyond deal execution, they provide ongoing counsel on regulatory compliance, advising on consumer protection laws, labeling requirements, import/export regulations, and safety standards like CPSIA. Typical daily duties extend to managing pre-litigation disputes with suppliers or partners, conducting risk assessments for new product categories or geographic markets, and developing scalable contracting processes and template agreements for internal teams. They work closely with cross-functional partners in procurement, product development, marketing, supply chain, and compliance to align legal strategy with business goals. Candidates for these senior jobs generally possess a Juris Doctor degree and active bar membership, coupled with 7+ years of relevant experience, often from a mix of law firm and in-house environments. Required skills include exceptional negotiation and drafting abilities, deep expertise in commercial law and UCC Article 2, a strong understanding of IP principles, and keen business acumen. Success in this profession demands the ability to translate legal concepts into practical business advice, manage multiple projects under tight deadlines, and communicate effectively with both legal peers and non-legal stakeholders. For attorneys seeking to directly influence product strategy and commercial success, Senior Legal Counsel - Merchandise Contracting jobs offer a dynamic and rewarding career path at the heart of consumer-driven businesses.
