Legal Specialist / Assistant Manager, Japan & Korea
Michael Kors — Legal Specialist / Assistant Manager (Japan & Korea) in Tokyo. Provide legal, IP and compliance support for Japan and Korea, reporting to the CFO.
Overview
Michael Kors is an international luxury fashion house known for ready-to-wear, accessories and lifestyle products. Operating as part of Capri Holdings, the brand maintains a global retail and wholesale footprint and cultivates a fast-paced, design-led environment that balances creative ambition with commercial rigor.
Role & Responsibilities
- Perform initial legal risk assessments for business activities in Japan and Korea and provide first-line advisory on contracts, advertising, consumer protection, commercial transactions and labor matters.
- Conduct initial review, amendment drafting and coordination of NDAs, service agreements, marketing and store-related contracts; manage contract lifecycle, logs and electronic filing.
- Act as primary liaison with outside counsel in Japan and Korea; prepare background materials, review external work product and escalate substantive issues to APAC/Global Legal.
- Support company-secretary duties including maintenance of licenses, certificates and assisting with director/executive appointments or removals where required.
- Manage intellectual property and anti-counterfeit enforcement support: customs procedures, evidence and case documentation, coordination with customs authorities and internal stakeholders.
- Localize and assist rollout of APAC/Global legal and compliance policies; prepare compliance materials, training content and responses to Global/APAC Legal requests.
- Monitor and summarise legal and regulatory developments in Japan and Korea; provide first-line support on customer claims, vendor disputes and ad-hoc legal projects.
Qualifications
- Minimum 2–3+ years' experience as a paralegal or legal support professional in a retail company or law firm.
- Proven experience reviewing commercial contracts and drafting amendments to standard agreements.
- Demonstrable ability to manage multiple matters with strong documentation, organisation and time-management skills.
- High compliance awareness and strict handling of confidential information.
- Ability to read legal documents and correspond in English; basic English communication skills for email and stakeholder interaction.
- Preferred: experience handling IP/anti-counterfeit matters, familiarity with Korean legal issues or Korean language skills, and prior exposure to the fashion or luxury sector or multinational legal teams.
Skills
Experience
2–3+ years working as a paralegal or legal support professional within a retail legal department or law firm, with direct experience reviewing commercial contracts and interacting with external counsel. Experience in IP/anti-counterfeit matters, multinational legal environments, or the luxury/fashion sector is advantageous.
Education
Bachelor’s degree in Law, Legal Studies, Business or a related discipline; paralegal qualification or equivalent legal training preferred.
Culture
The workplace is creative, fast-paced and internationally oriented, reflecting the brand’s retail and design focus. The legal team operates collaboratively across APAC and Global hubs, emphasizing professional development, cross-border coordination and adherence to high compliance standards.