Sr. Paralegal, Marketing

What You’ll Be Serving Up:

Provide strategic legal support to the KFC Marketing, Public Relations and Communications teams with legal review and clearance of advertisements, promotions, licensing, brand partnerships and system communications. The Senior Paralegal will assist in the areas of trademark and copyright protection, advertising, sweepstakes and contests, menu and packaging compliance, and will review and draft waivers, releases, and trademark authorization letters.

Here’s How You’ll Spice Things Up:

Marketing/PR Support (70%): Provide front line legal support for KFC US Marketing/PR team and assist with marketing-related issues and projects. 

• Marketing: Assist with review of all national advertising materials for legal compliance as directed by supervisor. Review POP, menu assets, and packaging for legal compliance.  Review and approve local advertising submitted by franchisees and local advertising agencies. Advise on process and use of KFC materials and compliance with brand standards. Research potential and emerging marketing and advertising legal issues, provide accurate, helpful risk assessments, and work proactively and cooperatively to develop solutions.
• Digital and CRM: Review all digital and CRM advertising materials for legal compliance, including: 
  e-commerce banners, digital menus, and CRM creative assets (email, SMS, push, etc.), and social media assets.
• Public Affairs: Review press and publicity materials. Assist with legal guidance on PR events.
• Media team: Review various joint promotions and added value events submitted by the media team and agencies, e.g., sponsorships, integration into TV or other media, presence on sports pregame shows, etc.
• Contests/Sweepstakes/Giveaways: Assist with all sweepstakes, contests, giveaways, etc., to ensure brand protection and proper participant interaction appropriately escalating high risk issues to supervisor.
• Licensing/Partnerships: Draft/review waivers and releases for events, activations, store openings, and other promotions, including publicity, trademark and copyright releases, and trademark authorization letters. Review and approve content created pursuant to KFC’s licensing program.
• Intellectual Property: Coordinate trademark clearance searches as needed with Global Trademark Group. Identify and communicate trademark concerns to the business, coordinate response to any trademark or patent infringement claims, assist with patent application questions, assist Yum Global Trademark Dept with trademark registration/renewal matters. 

Communications Team (20%): Primary legal review for internal communications to ensure adherence to legal and contractual obligations.

• Regular internal system communications: Review weekly operations bulletin and other TeamKFC messages, emails to system on upcoming promotions, key initiatives, etc., and others. Review presentations and messages and announcements to corporate audience as needed.
• Franchisee Communications: Review messages and presentations directed to franchise system.

Other Responsibilities (10%): 

• Lead projects/represent legal on cross functional projects.
• Stay current on developments in marketing/advertising law and regulation and share information with department and clients as needed.
• Other assignments and tasks as delegated by the Chief Legal Officer.  

What You Bring to the Table:

Education/Certifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree required, paralegal certification preferred. 

Experience:       

• At least 4 years’ paralegal experience in a law firm or law department (in-house experience preferred) focusing on advertising and trademark law.
• Mindset focused on providing risk assessments and realistic solutions. Ability to support Marketing team & understand its real needs and goals, tolerance for risk, team members’ roles and skills. Capacity always to be flexible and to embrace the support role. 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. 
• Ability to build individual relationships and to communicate with leadership as needed.
• Self-directed individual with strong project management skills and a team player.
• Ability to manage outside counsel/consultant relationship.
• High personal and professional integrity and the ability to establish personal credibility within the department and organization 
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, evolving environment with high expectations for excellence.