At CHANEL, our values are grounded in creating the conditions for people to perform at their best and feel fulfilled and confident in their work.
At Legal, our focus is on delivering best-in-class legal services. We strive to offer an attractive, welcoming and diverse workplace where we nurture our talent and allow them to grow. Our core values, which reflect the way we treat each other, are excellence, integrity, agility, resilience, generosity, customer-focus, curiosity and collaboration.
Your role @CHANEL
We are looking for a Legal Counsel to join our UK Legal Team based in London. You will be responsible for commercial and distribution advice which will include the legal and contractual aspects of Chanel’s UK retailer distribution network across our three divisions – Fashion, Fragrance & Beauty and Watches & Fine Jewellery. You will play a key role in the continued improvement, coordination and management of the legal aspects of the distribution network, including licensing arrangements, distribution partnerships in South Africa and advising on Chanel’s Travel Retail Network. In addition, you will be responsible for commercial contracts and advice provided to Chanel’s corporate functions.
What impact you can create at Chanel:
Distribution
Fragrance & Beauty: management of legal aspects of Chanel’s selective distribution network of authorised retailers in the UK & Ireland; periodic review and update of authorised retailer agreements and retailer admission criteria; liaising with divisional management to advise on distribution and competition aspects (relating to both bricks & mortar and online) arising from the distribution network including failure to adhere to admission criteria, maintenance of brand image at point of sale and outcomes of routine audits.
Travel Retail: management of legal aspects of Chanel’s selective travel retailer distribution network, e.g. in airports; liaison with divisional teams on airside passes.
Fashion and WFJ: management of concession agreements for Chanel boutiques in third party retailer locations, such as Harrods, and issues arising from these agreements including new locations, relocations and renegotiations.
Liaison with other internal distribution experts within the global Chanel Legal Team, including to ensure that retailer agreements and admission criteria remain up to date.
Liaison with internal Intellectual Property & Brand Protection Team regarding handling of grey market and counterfeit issues within the distribution.
Commercial
Responsibility for general commercial issues and agreements within corporate functions such as Training, Health & Safety, HR, Warehouse, Operations, Shopfitting and divisional events. Familiarity with IR35 in the context of commercial agreements would also be beneficial.
Primary legal team liaison with internal Fragrance & Beauty commercial teams (including marketing) and Chanel’s appointed distributor in South Africa and all related legal issues including distribution network, negotiations with the distributor and expansion plans.
Provision of support on other matters such as data privacy compliance, real estate, company secretarial, regulatory, advertising and sustainability matters to Managing Counsel and Senior Counsel respectively.
What you will bring:
Ideally, at least 4+ years PQE as a qualified Lawyer in England & Wales, but qualification in other European or Commonwealth jurisdictions with significant UK and international experience may be considered.
Solid distribution and general commercial experience ideally in an in-house environment and / or private practice.
Tech savviness, familiar with and interested in technical concepts and curious about use of new technologies and AI (experience of tools such as Co-Pilot is preferred).
Ability to assess and manage risk (strong competence in spotting legal, business and operational issues) and to deliver pragmatic approaches and solutions to the business.
Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) and ability to simplify and articulate matters logically and to manage stakeholders effectively.
Highly responsive and strong team player as well as having the ability to work independently, think critically as well as creatively and manage multiple tasks concurrently, to prioritize and manage deadlines in a fast-paced and demanding work environment.
Calm under pressure and pragmatic approach to busy work schedule, with a can-do attitude.
You are energised by:
Thinking “outside of the box” to come up with practical and innovative commercial solutions to problems
Tech Savviness, familiar with and interested in technical concepts and curious about new technologies
Translating business needs, understanding processes and designing efficient and practical solutions to support operational activities
Working in a highly collaborative and multi-cultural environment
Developing strong working relationships and understanding the role of Legal in supporting a creative and fast paced business
Learning and the opportunity to stretch your focus areas
Getting the job done!
What you would gain from this experience
Deep expertise in luxury retail, commercial, and distribution law across Fashion, Fragrance & Beauty, and Watches & Fine Jewellery.
Hands-on experience navigating and shaping Chanel’s UK retailer and travel retail networks.
Exposure to high-profile partners (e.g., Harrods, international distributors) and complex contract negotiations.
Collaboration with cross-functional teams—legal, commercial, IP, corporate functions, and global colleagues.
Direct involvement in innovative solutions, including tech-driven legal projects and sustainability initiatives.
A role in a nurturing, values-driven team culture that champions learning, curiosity, and career development.
The chance to make a visible impact in a fast-paced, creative, and supportive environment.
Contributing to the on-going and companywide vision of sustainability. Sustainability is one of CHANEL’s key performance drivers, embedded into our ways of working we require continued collective action from all employees to deliver on CHANEL’s House Sustainability Ambitions across our four key areas:
Restoring Nature and Climate
Investing in Circularity
Advancing dignity and prosperity
Promoting the autonomy of women
Benefits at Chanel :
Created to support you across your professional and personal life by offering you:
Physical Wellbeing: Private Medical Insurance covering pre-existing medical conditions and ability to add family members, Online GP App with 24/7 appointments available within 24 hours and Cycle Scheme participation for a tax-exempt bike and/or accessories
Financial Wellbeing: Pension, Life Assurance and Retail Discounts across multiple retailers including Supermarkets, Gyms, Days Out and 100s more
Mental Wellbeing: Employee Assistance Programmes and Other Support Lines
Lifestyle: Arts & Culture Ticket Discounts across major London attractions and CHANEL Product Discounts
Employee Recognition: Service Awards Programme offering CHANEL Products, Retail Vouchers and Additional Holidays across milestones
*Benefits are eligibility dependent and subject to change at any time
At Chanel, we are focused on creating an inclusive culture that nurtures personal growth, contributing to collective progress. We believe the uniqueness of each individual increases the diversity, complementarity and effectiveness of our teams. We strongly encourage your application, as we value the perspective, experience and potential you could bring to CHANEL.