Senior Manager - Legal Counsel Specialist

Job Title: Senior Manager - Legal Counsel Specialist

About the Function:

We're legal experts, understanding the complex laws that surround our business and our much-loved brands. Our Legal team are responsible for a range of legal challenges, from Corporate and Intellectual Property to Merger & Acquisitions and Compliance.

We're always seeking new and creative ways to take on the evolving challenges that today's commercial world presents. Our talented colleagues around the world are not just outstanding lawyers but also brilliant communicators and advisors. Whatever your skill as a lawyer, your distinct and valuable perspective will be celebrated and nurtured in our inclusive culture.

Role Mandate:

Drive real estate strategy, enable asset monetisation, ensure title integrity, and act as a strong commercial legal partner to CRES (Corporate Real Estate Services) and leadership. Additionally, lead the legal management of Diageo's India admin portfolio.

Location: Bengaluru

Experience: 6-10 Years PQE

Qualification: LLB/LLM

Key Accountabilities:

• Asset Strategy & Title Risk
• Review portfolio with CRES and identify non-core assets for monetisation.
• Lead title due diligence and drive end-to-end title perfection.
• Identify regulatory and structural risks, design and execute mitigation plans.
• Develop robust business cases (sale/ lease/ redevelopment).
• Prepare Board-ready presentations aligned to portfolio strategy and monetisation roadmap.
• Maintain audit-ready property documentation and governance discipline.

Transactions & Lease Leadership

• Lead drafting, negotiation and execution of sale deeds, leases, LOIs, renewals, amendments and exits.
• Structure commercially sound, risk-balanced real estate transactions.
• Oversee lease lifecycle governance and milestone tracking.
• Proactively anticipate and mitigate contractual and execution risks.

Diageo Admin Portfolio (Pan-India)

• Lead drafting, negotiation, renewal and execution of office space agreements across India.
• Manage and execute facility management agreements and related vendor contracts.
• Negotiate and manage travel-related agreements including airlines, hotels and corporate travel partners

Disputes & Regulatory Interface

• Lead and manage quasi-judicial and regulatory proceedings concerning non-core assets.
• Develop mitigation strategies and closure plans to drive timely resolution of litigation.
• Liaise with local counsel and manage external advisors effectively.
• Coordinate with relevant internal teams to maintain end-to-end visibility and strategic oversight of ongoing matters.

Business Partnering & Compliance

• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership-balancing risk with commercial outcomes.
• Mitigate exposure across ABC (anti- bribery and corruption) frameworks.
• Standardise templates, processes and contracting playbooks.
• Influence senior stakeholders and manage multi-region projects.

Flexible Working Statement: Flexibility is key to our success. From part-time and compressed hours to different locations, our people work flexibly in ways to suit them. Talk to us about what flexibility means to you so that you're supported from day one.

Diversity statement: Our purpose is to celebrate life, every day, everywhere. And creating an inclusive culture, where everyone feels valued and that they can belong, is a crucial part of this.

We embrace diversity in the broadest possible sense. This means that you'll be welcomed and celebrated for who you are just by being you. You'll be part of and help build and champion an inclusive culture that celebrates people of different gender, ethnicity, ability, age, sexual orientation, social class, educational backgrounds, experiences, mindsets, and more.

Our ambition is to create the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world. Join us and help transform our business as we take our brands to the next level and build new ones as part of shaping the next generation of celebrations for consumers around the world.

Feel inspired? Then this may be the opportunity for you.

If you require a reasonable adjustment, please ensure that you capture this information when you submit your application.

Client-provided location(s): Bangalore, India

Job ID: Diageo-JR1124884

Employment Type: FULL_TIME

Posted: 2026-04-09T19:20:09