FIFA is hiring a
Commercial Legal: Senior Legal Counsel, Brand Protection

We govern the beautiful game and ensure it's run with transparency and integrity.

Join our team in Miami and support us on our mission.

These are your key tasks: Key role within the Commercial Legal Team, with responsibility for the worldwide implementation and management of FIFA Brand Protection Programs as well as advising on a wide range of legal matters to ensure the safeguarding of tournament brand assets, intellectual property, and sponsorship agreements. 

Responsibility and oversight for all litigation of IP matters and dispute resolution worldwide.

Provide legal advice, guidance, and support on a wide range of legal matters related to FIFA tournaments, including establishing and implementing an anti-counterfeiting strategy, managing an on-line enforcement strategy, reviewing contracts, compliance, intellectual property, regulatory issues and access to information requests.

Provide clear and consistent direction to the FIFA World Cup 2026 and other tournament legal teams and working with local Brand Protection Counsel on brand protection matters, including implementation of the local brand protection programs, on-site programs, legislative analysis and legal review of agreements.

Establish comprehensive strategies to safeguard FIFA Intellectual Property against unauthorized use, counterfeiting, and piracy.

Manage FIFA ambush marketing cases, ticketing enforcement, customs recordals and seizures as well as IP infringement cases worldwide.

Stay informed of changes in relevant laws, regulations, and industry best practices and benchmarks, and provide proactive advice to ensure ongoing compliance.

Manage and enforce brand guidelines for sponsors and partners, ensuring consistent representation and compliance with contractual obligations.

Develop and maintain educational materials and training programs for internal and external stakeholders to raise awareness of brand protection measures.

Prepare comprehensive reports and provide guidance and recommendations for senior management, summarizing brand protection activities, challenges, legal actions, and future strategies as required.

Stepping in for Senior Counsel IP, when needed, to provide day to day advice to legal colleagues, internal clients and senior management on a range of brand protection and general intellectual property (IP) issues including the management of all FIFA trademarks, copyrights and designs as well as managing IP litigation.

Effectively building and maintaining strong external and internal relations at a senior level and across global offices.

Best practice outside counsel management, including outside counsel selection.

Extensive cross-functional collaboration with internal clients and stakeholders. 

Guiding other team members and developing more junior team members.

We work hard at FIFA.

We are dedicated, ambitious and innovative.

And we respect our values. Always.

For all roles, we seek talented people with an entrepreneurial spirit and a global mindset.

The specific competencies we require for this position are: Minimum of 8-10 years expertise "on the job" in a multinational IP team with global IP experience in either an in-house IP department or a reputable law firm focusing on intellectual property brand protection, anti-counterfeiting and/or IP litigation/enforcement work for multinationals.

Fully qualified to practice law (registered on the roll / admitted to the bar of an appropriate jurisdiction) having completed all necessary academic and practical training

First class written and spoken English language skills, consistent with drafting and negotiating complex, high value and nuanced English language agreements. 

Ability to provide and communicate effectively practical and solutions-based legal advice 

Good understanding of the global sports marketing, sports merchandising, licensing, retail, digital marketing, sponsorship, licensing, e-commerce and business intelligence industry landscapes

Excellent negotiation, drafting, problem solving and analytical skills

Structured, reliable, well-organized with a strong eye for detail 

Ability to perform consistently within a high-performing team, fostering collaboration, driving results, and ensuring the successful achievement of organizational goals.

Strong commercial acumen with an ability to transfer legal knowledge into commercially and operationally oriented solutions

Proactive, with a strong sense of personal responsibility with an ability to work autonomously on a wide variety of projects

Resilient with an ability to competently handle a large workload amid rapidly shifting priorities. 

Open-minded team player with an affinity for working within a variety of cultures and excellent communication skills

High degree of professionalism and confident demeanor

Ability to be a good ambassador for FIFA in all manner of external facing situations, including during contractual negotiations, external workshops and during FIFA competition-related assignments

Ability to create, develop and maintain strong and reliable relationships with FIFA senior management as well as external legal and commercial counterparts

Willingness to operate outside of comfort zone

Takes initiative to reflect on how to improve and develop working styles and methods to assist the organization and internal clients

Native level English (or equivalent), consistent with requirement to draft and negotiate complex and nuanced English language agreements and advice. 

Proficiency in any other FIFA language (French/Spanish) is an asset but not required

Proficient in Word / PowerPoint / Excel

Comfortable with international travel

The biggest benefit of a career at FIFA is the privilege to work for the beautiful game and create something that matters.

 Alongside that privilege, we also offer some extra perks and benefits:  Health insurance: We offer generous medical, vision, and dental insurance coverage.Continuous learning: We care about your development and encourage internal mobility, offering a variety of training and education to help achieve it.Retirement: We offer generous 401(k) employer contributions.Vacation: Maintain a healthy work/life balance with a generous vacation allowance.

We are FIFA, the global governing body for football.

Our vision is to make football truly global, diverse and inclusive, for the benefit of the entire world. The last FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 attracted more than 5 billion viewers and the last FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2023 was the greatest-ever FIFA Women's World Cup that inspired millions of girls and women around the globe. The opportunities for growth are exciting.

We are a modern organisation with over 850 passionate employees who are Living Football every day. Our headquarters are based in Zurich, Switzerland, and we have offices in Miami and Paris, plus eleven regional offices from New Zealand to India, Congo, Panama and Paraguay.

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