Tapestry
Operations & Business · 2,000 open jobs

Senior Director / Director, Head of Legal, North Asia

Minato-Ku , JPN (Tokyo Corporate Office), JapanPosted Oct 31
Director

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Position Summary

The Head of Legal, North Asia (Senior Director / Director) is the senior legal leader for all brands (currently Coach and Kate Spade) under Tapestry Japan (TPRJ) and Coach Korea (CK).

The role leads the regional Legal function, including legal advice, contracts, IP enforcement and brand protection, compliance, privacy and information security, disputes and corporate governance.

The role reports to the VP, Associate General Counsel, APAC in the Tapestry Inc. (TPR) Law Department, with a dotted reporting line to the President, Coach North Asia. It serves as the principal legal advisor to the President and the Japan and Korea leadership teams and as the senior Legal partner for North Asia within the broader APAC and global Law Department. The

role proactively enables and represents North Asia business priorities, drives APAC and global Legal priorities into effective local execution, and applies sophisticated legal and commercial judgment to maximize Legal impact. The Head of Legal provides strong leadership and direction for Japan and Korea with appropriate autonomy and accountability, while maintaining alignment with Tapestry's Legal strategy, governance framework and ways of working.

The position is based in Tokyo and leads a team across Japan and Korea, including an in-house Legal counsel in Seoul (to be hired). Regular travel to Korea is expected.

Key Responsibilities

1. Business Partnership and Strategic Enablement

  • Proactively partner with North Asia leadership to understand business priorities, anticipate legal and regulatory considerations, and develop practical solutions that support key business initiatives across Japan and Korea.
  • Own the regional legal risk agenda, including the legal risk register, and report material risks, mitigation plans and program results to local leadership and the TPR Law Department.
  • Ensure North Asia business realities, regulatory developments, legal requirements and risk perspectives are effectively represented in APAC and global Legal discussions.
  • Engage Legal early in the decision cycle, frame legal issues in business terms, and provide clear, commercially grounded recommendations that enable informed decision-making and effective execution.

2. North Asia Legal Leadership and Execution

  • Translate APAC and global Legal strategy and priorities into a clear North Asia agenda and practical execution plan aligned with Japan and Korea business objectives.
  • Implement and operationalize Tapestry global and APAC Legal standards, policies, processes, templates and delegation of authority across Japan and Korea, adapting execution to local legal and business requirements where appropriate.
  • Apply strong legal and commercial judgment to determine the most effective approach and level of Legal involvement for different matters, particularly significant contracts, strategic projects and complex or high-risk issues.
  • Provide precise and timely guidance on Japan- and Korea-specific legal requirements, calibrate risk appropriately, and deploy the right expertise and resources to resolve issues effectively and efficiently while building capability across the team.

3. APAC and Global Legal Partnership

  • Provide strong leadership and direction for Japan and Korea with appropriate autonomy and accountability, while operating within the APAC and global Legal strategy, governance framework and ways of working.
  • Partner closely with the VP, Associate General Counsel, APAC and collaborate proactively with APAC and global Legal subject-matter experts and functional teams.
  • Maintain appropriate visibility and escalate material, novel or sensitive issues as appropriate, while contributing actively to broader regional and global Legal initiatives.

4. Compliance, Privacy and Information Security Oversight

  • Execute and support the ethics and hotline program for TPRJ and CK in coordination with the relevant APAC and global Legal and Compliance teams and lead local aspects of internal investigations with HR and the TPR Law Department.
  • Oversee compliance with key Japanese and Korean laws, including consumer protection, advertising and premiums, specified commercial transactions, subcontracting, competition and anti-bribery requirements.
  • Implement and manage the Japan and Korea privacy and data protection programs under the Japan and Korea privacy regulations, in coordination with the global Privacy Office, including Korea ISMS certification and personal data incident response.
  • Ensure compliance and privacy training is delivered to store and office management, and that policies and controls remain current as regulations change.

5. Corporate Governance

  • Oversee corporate governance for TPRJ and CK, including board and shareholder meetings, resolutions, minutes and commercial registry matters, with external advisors.
  • Oversee company seal control, approval records and delegation of authority, and keep regional corporate policies aligned with Tapestry Inc. global policy.
  • Advise local directors and officers on their duties, and support corporate transactions and entity changes as required.

6. IP Enforcement and Brand Protection

  • Develop and execute the Japan and Korea brand protection plan in alignment with APAC Legal and Global IP priorities, recommending local enforcement priorities, budget and resource allocation based on market risks and business needs.
  • Maintain senior relationships with Customs, police, Union des Fabricants, other brand protection partners, industry associations and regulators.
  • Direct significant civil and criminal enforcement actions and coordinate the trademark and design portfolio strategy with global IP counsel.

7. Disputes, External Counsel and Budget

  • Manage significant disputes, litigation, regulatory inquiries and government relations, and coordinate the response with the TPR Law Department and external counsel.
  • Select and manage the regional panel of external counsel, including scope, fees and quality of work.
  • Own the Legal budget and headcount plan for North Asia, and track spend against plan.

8. Team Leadership and Development

  • Lead, coach and develop a team of legal professionals across Japan and Korea, including onboarding the new Korea-based Legal counsel, building succession, strengthening team capability and reducing key-person dependency.
  • Set team objectives, allocate work across Japan and Korea, conduct performance reviews, and oversee the Legal Intern Program.
  • Champion the adoption of legal technology and AI tools, such as contract lifecycle management, e-billing and generative AI assistants, to improve speed and quality.

Work Relationships

  • Inside the company: VP, Assoc
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