Michael Kors 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.
Workplace
This position is based in Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. Cerulean lists 183 open roles in Tokyo, including 2 posted recently. The broader Tokyo area accounts for 193 active listings on Cerulean, 4 of which are new. In Japan as a whole, Cerulean currently features 236 open positions, with 4 posted this week.
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.
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.