Hermès Legal Compliance Counsel
Hermès International — Legal Compliance Counsel in Paris. Lead anti‑corruption, AML, sanctions, internal investigations and whistleblowing.
Overview
Hermès International is a preeminent French luxury maison renowned for artisanal craftsmanship, refined design and an international retail and manufacturing footprint. The Group Legal function supports global operations across production and distribution, delivering specialist legal counsel and pragmatic governance to preserve brand integrity and regulatory compliance.
Role & Responsibilities
- Design, deploy and supervise group-wide compliance programmes (ethics/anti‑corruption, AML/CFT, sanctions, competition) including policies, codes of conduct, risk mapping, KPIs and controls.
- Lead and conduct complex internal investigations (methodology, evidence collection, interviews, reporting), ensuring confidentiality, impartiality and procedural regularity.
- Manage the whistleblowing framework: triage and qualify alerts, decide on investigations, ensure legal timelines and protection of whistleblowers, and report to governance bodies.
- Oversee sanctions and embargo compliance: monitor regulatory developments and ensure consistent application across entities and jurisdictions.
- Support implementation of LCB‑FT controls and monitor remediation plans following audits or risk assessments.
- Provide criminal business law expertise: assess criminal exposures, advise executive management and operational teams, draft internal rules and coordinate with external counsel on litigation and judicial processes.
- Develop and deliver training and awareness initiatives; animate the network of compliance referents across the Group.
- Produce regular reporting for the Director Legal Compliance and governance committees; coordinate with Audit, Risk and Internal Control functions and represent the Group in professional federations as required.
Qualifications
- Master's degree in Law (equivalent to French Master 2) with specialization in business law, economic criminal law or compliance.
- Minimum 10 years’ professional experience in an in‑house legal department of an international group and/or in a law firm, with significant exposure to compliance, internal investigations or criminal business law.
- Proven track record conducting complex internal investigations and managing whistleblowing procedures.
- Thorough knowledge of anti‑corruption law (including Sapin II), AML/CFT, international sanctions and competition compliance; familiarity with AFA recommendations.
- Expertise in investigative techniques, evidence collection and e‑discovery.
Skills
Experience
Minimum 10 years of substantive experience in legal and compliance roles within an international corporate legal department and/or a law firm, with demonstrable experience in internal investigations, anti‑corruption programmes and cross‑border compliance work.
Education
Master's degree in Law (equivalent to French Master 2) with specialization in business law, economic criminal law or compliance.
Workplace
This position is based in Paris, Île-de-France, France. Cerulean lists 3.316 open roles in Paris, including 67 posted recently. The broader Île-de-France area accounts for 3.727 active listings on Cerulean, 101 of which are new. In France as a whole, Cerulean currently features 4.275 open positions, with 127 posted this week.
Culture
Hermès fosters a culture of discretion, excellence and respect for craft, combining rigorous professional standards with collaborative, cross‑functional working. The Group places strong emphasis on integrity, employee development and global responsibility in its operations.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.