Associate General Counsel, Marketing & Trademarks

Associate General Counsel, Marketing and Trademarks, based in Cincinnati, OH (hybrid), with a salary range of USD 140,000 - 165,000 per year, responsible for leading marketing law and trademark strategy for Kao's global activities and supervising a small IP legal team in collaboration with Kao's Japan group.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate influencer agreements, agency contracts, licenses, and co-marketing arrangements.
• Provide daily hands-on legal counsel to personnel at all levels via email and in-person or virtual meetings.
• Support large and complex legal projects.
• Advise on global trademark operations, including clearance, filings, renewals, enforcement, oppositions, monitoring, and anti-counterfeiting efforts.
• Lead a small team comprising 1–2 attorneys and 2 IP paralegals.
• Oversee promotional compliance for contests and sweepstakes.
• Ensure alignment with company policies and internal guidelines.
• Deliver legal training to marketing teams.
• Design and implement scalable processes, workflows, and technology solutions for marketing legal operations.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school; active law license in good standing.
• 10+ years of experience in marketing/advertising and trademark/copyright law.
• Proven leadership overseeing attorneys, paralegals, and outside counsel.
• Experience with trademark clearance, prosecution, enforcement, and portfolio management.
• Ability to collaborate with global teams, including Kao's Japan trademark group.
• Ability to design scalable legal processes and leverage legal technology.

Benefits

• Healthcare coverage.
• 401(k) with company match.
• 36 total days off (vacation, holidays, and sick leave).
• Hybrid work environment.