Tapestry Vice President, Deputy General Counsel

About Tapestry

Tapestry is a New York–based house of modern luxury, uniting the distinctive worlds of Coach, Kate Spade, and Stuart Weitzman. As an employer, the group offers the scale and sophistication of a global fashion leader while preserving the creative spirit and heritage of its iconic brands. Tapestry cultivates an inclusive, purpose-driven culture where design, craftsmanship, digital innovation, and commercial excellence intersect. Its teams are encouraged to think boldly, grow continuously, and contribute to a more responsible future for fashion, making Tapestry a compelling environment for talent seeking impact, creativity, and international opportunity.

Tapestry, Inc., an S&P 500 luxury retail conglomerate (Coach and Kate Spade New York), seeks a Vice President, Deputy General Counsel to serve as a senior member of the legal leadership team managing a broad portfolio spanning North America litigation, employment law, internal investigations coordination, and enterprise ethics and compliance oversight. This high-impact role demands a seasoned legal professional comfortable operating with significant autonomy in a lean organizational structure, reporting directly to the Chief Legal Officer to advise senior leadership across litigation strategy, employment disputes, cross-border investigations, regulatory compliance, operational legal risk management, and team development.

Role & Responsibilities

• Direct all phases of litigation and dispute resolution, including case strategy, risk evaluation, budgeting, discovery, depositions, motion practice, arbitration, trial preparation, and settlement negotiations
• Manage pre-litigation disputes, demand letters, governmental agency inquiries, and threatened claims, providing risk assessment and practical counsel to executives
• Advise Human Resources and business leaders on employment-related disputes, workplace investigations, employee relations issues, administrative claims, and separation matters across North America
• Coordinate and conduct cross-border internal investigations involving supply chain, anti-corruption (FCPA), fraud, and workplace misconduct; manage local counsel and forensic providers while navigating data privacy and privilege considerations
• Establish and oversee investigation protocols, escalation criteria, root-cause analysis, and remediation processes; report outcomes to senior leadership and the Board
• Lead, operate, and enhance the enterprise ethics and compliance program, including governance, risk assessments, policies, training, communications, and reporting to the CLO
• Oversee the corporate ethics hotline program, managing intake, triage, case assignment, investigation tracking, anti-retaliation safeguards, and trend analysis
• Provide legal and regulatory support on governmental examinations, investigations, and ongoing regulatory readiness
• Serve as strategic legal partner to operations leadership on store operations, distribution, supply chain, logistics, facilities, and loss prevention matters
• Advise on operational legal risks including OSHA workplace safety, wage and hour compliance, premises liability, consumer protection, product safety and recalls, and vendor matters
• Design and implement compliant policies, procedures, and controls supporting efficient, scalable operations across the store and distribution network
• Support incident response, crisis management, business continuity planning, and operational claims management in coordination with Risk Management and insurers
• Coordinate legal operations functions, manage legal technology platforms, tools, and reporting systems including matter management and e-discovery
• Evolve legal processes and ways of working, including intake, discovery protocols, playbooks, templates, and knowledge management systems
• Lead, mentor, and develop attorneys and legal professionals through hiring, performance management, succession planning, training, and career development
• Serve as strategic partner to the CLO and support Board and Audit Committee matters as needed

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school
• Admitted and in good standing with the New York State Bar
• Minimum 15 years of legal experience with primary focus on litigation, investigations, and compliance, including meaningful senior in-house leadership experience
• Significant hands-on experience across all phases of litigation and disputes, including trial preparation
• Strong employment law experience with ability to advise on day-to-day employment issues
• Proven experience managing internal investigations, subpoenas, discovery, cross-border data issues, litigation holds, and e-discovery tools
• Demonstrated leadership responsibility for a corporate ethics and compliance program
• Demonstrated experience coordinating and conducting cross-border investigations, managing local counsel, and navigating foreign data privacy and employment law constraints
• Proven ability to work independently, multitask, and manage complex matters with minimal supervision
• Sound judgment and discretion in handling sensitive and confidential matters
• Proven experience leading, managing, and developing legal teams
• Experience overseeing or building a legal operations function, including legal technology and outside counsel management

Skills

Experience

Minimum 15 years of legal experience with a primary focus on litigation, investigations, and compliance, including meaningful experience in a senior in-house leadership role. The ideal candidate brings a blend of big law and/or government experience supporting complex business platforms, with demonstrated expertise advising store, distribution, supply chain, and operations teams at multi-site enterprises. Experience with government investigations and self-disclosure decisions (DOJ, SEC, EEOC, state attorneys general) is valued, as is familiarity with the retail industry, including global sourcing and supply chain compliance.

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school; admission and good standing with the New York State Bar required.

Workplace

Compensation

The base compensation for this position ranges from USD 320,000 to USD 360,000 per annum.

Benefits

Medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, 401(k), paid paternity and maternity leave, commuter benefits, disability insurance, and tuition assistance.

Culture

Tapestry fosters a collaborative, inclusive workplace where creativity, craftsmanship, and consumer insight come together across its portfolio of iconic fashion and lifestyle brands. As an employer, it encourages entrepreneurial thinking, global perspective, and continuous growth, empowering teams to shape meaningful brand experiences while contributing to a culture of innovation and belonging.

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.