In-house General Counsel

The General Counsel is Meraki Hospitality Group's first dedicated in-house lawyer, responsible for the legal health of the group as it scales from 2 restaurants to 6 concepts. This role owns contracts, corporate governance, compliance risk, and dispute management end-to-end across the group's structure — Make Manila Great Again PTE LTD (Singapore holding company) and Philippine operating entities Uma Nota Philippines Inc. and Eat Sabai Inc. — reducing reliance on ad hoc outside counsel while knowing when to bring outside counsel in for specialized or high-stakes matters. This role partners closely with the People & Culture / Compliance & Payroll function on the legal side of employment matters, without owning day-to-day HR compliance directly.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Contracts & commercial

• Draft, review, negotiate, and manage commercial contracts across all concepts — vendor/supplier agreements, lease agreements, F&B licensing and franchise deals, artist/curator and sponsorship agreements, service agreements, and NDAs
• Maintain a standard contract template library and playbook so routine agreements move fast without a from-scratch review each time
• Flag one-sided or high-risk clauses before signature, especially in landlord leases and supplier agreements given the group's multi-site footprint

Corporate structure & governance

• Maintain corporate records, board resolutions, and statutory filings across Make Manila Great Again PTE LTD (Singapore) and the Philippine entities
• Advise the CEO and Board on corporate governance, entity structuring, and compliance with Singapore (ACRA) and Philippine (SEC) corporate requirements
• Own the SEC compliance calendar for the Philippine entities — General Information Sheet (GIS) filed within 30 days of the annual stockholders' meeting, Audited Financial Statements (AFS) filed annually, and notifying SEC within 30 days of any change in directors, officers, or major shareholders
• Track minimum paid-up capital compliance for each Philippine entity given its foreign (Singapore) shareholder, and ensure inbound investment from Make Manila Great Again PTE LTD is properly registered with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP/BSRD) so future dividend repatriation stays clean
• Own corporate secretarial work: minute-taking discipline, resolutions, and keeping the group's cap table, ESOP/incentive plan documentation, and shareholder agreements current and enforceable

Compliance & Regulatory

• Own BIR compliance exposure — registration, books of accounts, official receipts, and the tax filing calendar — and lead the company's response to BIR assessments and audits, coordinating with the company's accountant/tax counsel on the underlying numbers
• Track Philippine regulatory requirements relevant to F&B operations — business permits, sanitation and fire safety permits, liquor licensing, LGU compliance, FDA registration for any packaged/bottled products, and data privacy (NPC) — and flag renewal deadlines before they lapse
• Build lightweight compliance checklists new concepts can follow ahead of opening
• Serve as the internal escalation point for regulatory risk, coordinating with outside counsel only where specialized expertise is genuinely needed

M&A, investment & transactions

• Lead legal work on equity/licensing deal negotiations, term sheets, and investor agreements, including reviewing incentive/ESOP structures for legal and tax-structuring risk
• Conduct legal due diligence and draft/review transaction documents for new concept partnerships, franchise arrangements, and expansion-related deals
• Support financing, restructuring, and dividend distribution mechanics between the Singapore holding company and Philippine entities

Intellectual property

• Protect the group's brand and concept IP — trademarks for Uma Nota, Sabai, and future concepts —including registrations with IPOPHL
• Draft and negotiate licensing, collaboration, and IP-related agreements (e.g. art curation, brand partnerships)

Employment Law Support

• Partner with the Head of People & Culture and People Compliance & Payroll Officer on the legal side of employment matters — contract language, termination processes (NTEs, hearings), and disciplinary due process — without owning day-to-day HR compliance
• Review employment contracts, offer letters, and severance terms for legal risk before they go out, particularly around bonus discretion, confidentiality, and non-diminution issues under Philippine labor law

Dispute resolution & litigation

• Manage disputes involving the company — tax assessments, contract disputes, landlord/tenant issues, employment disputes — coordinating with external litigation counsel where court representation is required
• Represent the company directly in negotiations, mediation, and regulatory correspondence where outside counsel isn't required

Training & internal enablement

• Run periodic briefings for managers and ops leadership on legal risk basics — what needs legal review,red flags to watch for, regulatory changes affecting operations
• Build simple internal guidance (checklists, templates) so non-legal staff can self-serve on routine matters

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS:

• Member of the Philippine Bar in good standing, with 5+ years post-qualification experience
• In-house or law firm experience in corporate/commercial law; F&B, hospitality, retail, or multi-site consumer business experience a strong plus
• Comfortable working as a generalist and, at least initially, the sole legal hire — pragmatic and business-minded rather than purely academic in approach
• Experience with cross-border corporate structures (Philippine operating entities under an offshore holding company) preferred; Singapore law exposure a plus
• Working familiarity with BIR tax compliance and audits, SEC reportorial filings, and foreign-ownership/BSP registration rules for Philippine corporations
• Big plus, not required: prior experience working directly with BIR RDO 44 (Taguig), where Meraki's entities are registered — directly relevant to managing our tax and regulatory compliance
• Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills, with the judgment to know when to escalate to outside counsel
• Working knowledge of Philippine labor law fundamentals — enough to partner effectively with HR/compliance without owning it
• High discretion, given regular exposure to sensitive commercial, financial, and ownership matters

Pay: Php100,000.00 - Php150,000.00 per month

Benefits:

• Company events
• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Promotion to permanent employee
• Staff meals provided

Work Location: In person