Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is headquartered globally in Scottsdale, Arizona, with APAC headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, and other APAC operations in Singapore, Shanghai, China, and Sydney, Australia, among others. Our brand mission is to accompany each player at every stage with products and brand experiences that fuel the pursuit of musical expression.
An American icon, Fender was born in Southern California and has built a worldwide influence extending beyond the studio and the stage. A Fender is more than an instrument, it’s a cultural symbol that resonates globally.
As Paralegal – APAC you will be responsible for assisting in the review and negotiation of Fender’s commercial contracts and supporting the legal, human resources, and compliance teams in other legal and compliance-related matters, including in the area of employment law. This role calls for a legal professional who can wear multiple hats and someone who loves navigating a never-ending variety of challenges. In this position you will report to Fender’s President – APAC, with dotted line reporting to Fender’s Counsel – APAC, and support our dynamic legal team. This position will be based out of Tokyo, Japan.
What you'll do:
- Provide day-to-day paralegal support in connection with various legal matters impacting Fender’s Asia & the Pacific (“APAC”) region, particularly focusing on Japan, China, Korea, Australia, and Singapore.
- Facilitate the licensing of third-party intellectual property (music, footage, photos, fonts, graphics, etc.) for use in advertising, promotions, and brand integrations.
- Support global regulatory and compliance initiatives.
- Support litigation, arbitration, and investigation matters.
- Provide corporate law assistance, including due diligence support, data room management, preparing and organizing documents for the legal and other cross-divisional teams.
- Support attorneys in drafting, negotiating and/or reviewing a variety of commercial transactions, including sales, service, consulting, technology, licensing, non-disclosure, dealer and other agreements.
- Manage contract lifecycle from inception through execution, including tracking contract details and phases until contract execution while continuously communicating progress to supervising attorney and internal clients.
- Under attorney supervision, research and respond to other legal department requests related to corporate or legal compliance.
- Maintain and file corporate records, including resolutions, board of director changes, annual reports, etc.
- Coordinate and receive board and committee signatures for documents and materials.
- Manage documents related to corporate policies and protocols.
- Providing administrative support for documents, including contract management and digital filing.
- Working with other members of the legal team on special projects and initiatives as needed.
What you need:
- A degree from a paralegal or legal studies program at a regionally accredited college or university.
- A paralegal certification from a relevant legal regulatory agency in Japan, China, or Singapore.
- 3-5+ years’ experience working in an internal legal department in a paralegal role.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Japanese.
- A high level of attention to detail and the ability to work well in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities, to maintain the confidentiality of matters, and to be well organized.
- Solid research and technology skills (including MS Office; Word, Excel, and Outlook).
- Willingness to take direction from others and the ability to work independently on assignments with demonstrated judgment in when to seek assistance.
- Solid time management skills, the ability to execute within established processes and directions on a timely basis, solid prioritization skills, and results-driven orientation.
- Strong organizational skills, including ability to work with large data sets and reports.
- Demonstrated ability to comprehend instructions and work at a fast pace with a high degree of accuracy.
- Diplomacy and calmness under pressure and shifting priorities.
- A strong desire to learn and perform.
About Fender Musical Instruments Corporation:
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is one of the world’s leading musical instrument manufacturers, marketers and distributors, whose portfolio of brands includes Fender®, Squier®, Gretsch®, Jackson®, EVH®, Charvel®, PreSonus®, and Bigsby®, among others. For more information, visit www.fender.com.
