Legal Counsel – Compliance, Litigation, and Crisis

As a member of a dynamic legal team, the attorney in this position will serve as a critical business partner and legal adviser, reporting to the Director of Global Litigation, Employment and Brand Protection. This Legal Counsel role will support the global compliance and litigation practice, and will have primary responsibility for assisting in the operation of Pizza Hut’s ethics, compliance, due diligence, training and internal investigations areas. This attorney will be expected to manage and conduct internal investigations and advise on a wide range of topics including anti-bribery/anti-corruption, sanctions, conflicts of interest, international trade, and other general compliance topics. This role will also support the Director with strategic defense of critical litigation matters in all areas except employment and franchise litigation. The successful candidate will have a strategic growth mindset and a passion for providing world-class legal support by collaboratively working across business units while consistently modeling Pizza Hut’s cultural values. Legal Counsel will also perform other essential Law Department functions and responsibilities as assigned. This position has the potential to manage a dedicated paralegal. Compliance: Monitor developments in relevant legal areas and policy, and proactively coordinate with and provide day-to-day compliance-focused legal advice to Global HR, Development, Operations, Finance, Legal partners, and others to ensure ongoing compliance with legal and policy requirements; Own, manage and maintain defined portfolio of Global corporate compliance and legal/workplace policies, ensuring they are current, clearly written, scalable, and compliant; Develop and deliver training to HR Business Professionals, business leaders, and coaches on key legal topics and emerging risks, partnering with Legal Counsel- Employment on employment-related trainings; Create and manage rollout of annual global compliance training; Conduct internal audits in partnership with internal teams into high-risk regulatory areas, including in partnership with Legal Counsel- Employment on employment-related audits; Conduct risk assessments in connection with issues impacting Company’s customer, vendor, operations, franchisees, industry and/or business and advise management on most appropriate response or action. Partner with Legal Counsel – Employment on employment-related assessments. In cooperation with other function stakeholders, establish and manage the Company’s internal investigations program, ensuring timely, thorough, and fair investigations into allegations of misconduct, fraud, conflicts of interest, and other violations of Pizza Hut’s Code of Conduct and related policies. Oversee the tracking, analysis, and reporting of investigation trends to identify systemic issues and recommend corrective actions; Manage vendor, supplier, and franchisee due diligence process on a global scale; Lead records management and oversight, with support from Litigation Paralegal; and Maintain an effective compliance communication program for the Company, including promoting the use of the whistleblower hotline, heightened awareness of the Code of Conduct, and understanding new and existing compliance issues and related policies and procedures. Litigation: Assist with litigation matters, including management of and coordination with outside and insurance counsel with strategic defense of litigation matters nationwide. Caseload will primarily focus on commercial, consumer protection, personal injury, patent infringement and data privacy but could also be as varied as real estate and anti-trust. Review and revise draft pleadings, discovery responses, and motions prepared by outside counsel; Coordinate with Litigation Paralegal to collect and supply responsive, non-objectionable information and documentation to outside counsel in support of discovery responses and manage e-discovery; Assist Director to forecast and manage Pizza Hut legal budget per period and annually; Coordinate as appropriate and necessary with Risk/Insurance Team and cross functional partners; Partner with Litigation Paralegal on responses and objections to subpoenas and other legal documents; and Assist in developing compliance frameworks stemming from litigation, if and as needed. Crisis: Assist Director in managing, mitigating, and responding to crisis events; and Partner with Communications, Food Safety and Quality, Public Relations, Supply Chain and Operations in developing and enforcing crisis protocols. Location: This position is required to work in person from the Plano, Texas office three days a week – Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Remote work Monday and Friday is permitted. Education: Juris Doctor (JD) Degree from an ABA accredited law school Experience (and other qualifications): Active license to practice law in Texas (or ability to obtain in-house counsel registration where required); 4 – 8 years of experience in a law firm or in-house legal department, with a preferred focus on internal investigations, corporate compliance, and/or corporate governance; Ability to assess and weigh risks against operational needs to develop reasoned recommendations, including risk mitigation strategies; Ability to work quickly and competently to prioritize, manage, and multi-task in a fast paced and dynamic working environment; Ability to deliver sound, clear and practical legal advice, both verbally and in writing; Ability to develop strong working relationships with colleagues and internal clients; Ability to self-start and work proactively to advance business objectives to completion; Solution-oriented and collaborative mindset, including ability to work successfully in a team environment; Excellent communication skills, including the ability to listen and effectively explain complex legal issues to non-lawyers in one-on-one and large presentation formats; High personal and professional integrity, including the ability to establish personal credibility within the department and Company; and Is at least 18 years of age and has authorization to work in the United States. Salary Range: $125,200 to $147,200 annually + bonus eligibility. This is the expected salary range for this position. Ultimately, in determining pay, we'll consider the successful candidate’s location, experience, and other job-related factors.