VP, Deputy General Counsel

We believe that difference sparks brilliance, so we welcome people and ideas from everywhere to join us in stretching what’s possible. At Tapestry, being true to yourself is core to who we are. When each of us brings our individuality to our collective ambition, our creativity is unleashed. This global house of brands – Coach and Kate Spade New York – was built by unconventional entrepreneurs and unexpected solutions, so when we say we believe in dreams, we mean we believe in making them happen. We’re always on a journey to becoming our best, but you can count on this: Here, your voice is valued, your ambitions are supported, and your work is recognized. A member of the Tapestry family, we are part of a global house of brands that has unwavering optimism and is committed to being innovative and wholly inclusive. Visit Our People page to learn more about Tapestry's commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity. We are seeking a Vice President, Deputy General Counsel to join the Office of the Legal Department at one of the nation's leading S&P 500 retail companies. This is a high-impact, senior-level position for a seasoned legal professional who thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment and is ready to serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership across the organization. As a Deputy General Counsel, you will serve as a senior member of the legal leadership team and manage a broad portfolio spanning North America litigation and disputes, employment law and have responsibility for helping to coordinate NA and cross-border internal investigations. This role will oversee regulatory proceedings, and the enterprise ethics and compliance program. You will partner directly with the CLO and senior management to protect the company, mitigate legal risk, and drive a proactive, solutions-oriented legal and compliance culture. This position is ideal for someone with in-house sensibility who is comfortable operating with a high degree of autonomy in a lean organizational structure where responsibilities span multiple functions. Key Responsibilities Litigation & Dispute Management

• Manage all phases of litigation and disputes — with and without outside counsel — including case strategy, risk evaluation, budgeting, discovery, witness preparation, depositions, motion practice, arbitration, trial preparation, and settlement.
• Manage and resolve pre-litigation disputes, demand letters, governmental agency and regulatory inquiries, and threatened claims.
• Assess risk, evaluate litigation exposure, and provide practical, solution-oriented counsel to executives and internal stakeholders.
• Evaluate claims and exposure and make recommendations regarding case strategy and resolution, including settlement authority within designated limits. Employment Law & Investigations
• Advise Human Resources and business leaders on employment-related disputes, workplace investigations, employee relations issues, administrative claims, disciplinary matters, and separation-related issues in North America and, from time-to-time, work with regional office to provide legal advice on international issues.
• Coordinate and conduct cross-border investigations involving the company's international operations, suppliers, and vendors, including matters implicating anti-corruption (FCPA and local law), fraud, supply chain, and workplace misconduct; manage local counsel and forensic providers; and navigate data privacy, data transfer, labor consultation, and privilege considerations across jurisdictions.
• Establish consistent investigation protocols, escalation criteria, and root-cause and remediation processes, and report investigation outcomes to senior leadership and the Board as appropriate.
• Coordinate responses to regulatory and government agency proceedings, and state agency inquiries. Compliance & Regulatory
• Partner closely with the CLO and senior management on all aspects of the company's compliance and regulatory framework, including governmental examinations, investigations, and ongoing regulatory readiness.
• Lead, operate, and continuously enhance the company's enterprise ethics and compliance program, including program governance, risk assessments, policies and procedures, training and communications, and reporting to the CLO and senior management.
• Oversee the company's ethics hotline program, including the framework for intake, triage, case assignment, investigation tracking, anti-retaliation safeguards, documentation, trend analysis, and periodic reporting of hotline metrics to leadership.
• Support the integration of new products and market strategies into the existing compliance structure.
• Provide legal and regulatory support cross-functionally, partnering with business teams on both strategic and day-to-day matters. Business Operations Support
• Serve as a strategic legal partner to the company's operations leadership, including store operations, distribution and fulfillment, supply chain, logistics, facilities, and loss prevention.
• Advise on operational legal risks, including workplace safety (OSHA), wage and hour compliance, premises liability, consumer protection, product safety and recalls, and vendor and supplier matters.
• Partner with operations teams to design and implement compliant policies, procedures, and controls that support efficient, scalable operations across the store and distribution network.
• Support incident response, crisis management, and business continuity planning, and manage operational claims and disputes in coordination with Risk Management and insurers.
• Advise on operational initiatives, including pricing, workforce scheduling, automation, and technology deployments in stores and distribution centers . Legal Operations & Team Development
• Coordinate the legal operations function, assist with setting strategy and priorities for how the legal department delivers services efficiently and at scale.
• Coordinate the department's legal technology, tools and reporting, including matter management, document retention, e-discovery and document management,
• Coordinate and evolve legal processes and ways of working, including intake and triage, e-discovery, playbooks, templates, knowledge management, and self-service resources for business partners.
• Assist with develop and tracking department metrics and reporting.
• Lead, mentor, and develop attorneys and legal professionals, including hiring, performance management, succession planning, training, and career development, and foster a collaborative, inclusive, high-performing team culture. Legal Leadership
• Serve as a key strategic partner to the CLO
• Support Board and Audit Committee matters, as needed.
• Take ownership of projects and operate with a high degree of autonomy within a lean organizational culture.
• Handle ad hoc legal matters, research and analysis of complex issues, and directly engage with internal stakeholders on legal issues as they arise. Qualifications Required
• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
• Admitted and in good standing with the New York State Bar.
• Minimum of 15 years of legal experience with a primary focus on litigation, investigations, and compliance, including meaningful experience in a senior in-house leadership role.
• Significant hands-on experience across all phases of litigation and disputes, including trial preparation.
• Strong employment law experience, with an ability to advise on day-to-day employment issues when needed.
• Experience managing internal investigations, subpoenas, discovery, cross-border data issues, litigation holds, document management applications, and e-discovery tools.
• Demonstrated experience running or holding significant leadership responsibility for a corporate ethics and compliance program.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating and conducting cross-border investigations, including managing local counsel and navigating foreign data privacy and employment law constraint