Assistant Legal Counsel (Minato, Tokyo)

Job Description

Assistant Legal Counsel

Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Posted on: November 20, 2025
Employment Type: Full-time Permanent (Up to 3 days/week in-office)
Industry: Legal/Patent – Legal Support / Other
Company: Monotype K.K.
Nearest Station: 4-minute walk from Gaienmae Station (Tokyo Metro Ginza Line)

Job Description

The Assistant Legal Counsel will negotiate and interpret inbound and outbound font license agreements, supporting Japan and global sales and foundry teams. Responsibilities also include enforcement support (investigation of infringement, factual/legal evaluation, evidence preservation/submission), sales support, and communication with potential infringers.

Key Responsibilities:

• Draft, negotiate, and interpret contracts and license agreements in Japanese and English
• Provide legal support to the sales team in coordination with global legal, financial, and sales teams
• Communicate with internal departments on unresolved topics and follow-up actions
• Manage intellectual property inquiries, notice/takedown procedures, and interactions with customer legal counsel
• Monitor contract approval procedures to ensure compliance with company policies
• Attend in-office meetings up to 3 days per week

Requirements

Mandatory:

• Law degree or equivalent work experience/certification
• 3+ years experience in law firm or corporate legal department, preferably software-related
• Knowledge of intellectual property law and international contract/licensing law (copyright/trademark)
• Strong negotiation and problem-solving skills without zero-sum mindset
• Flexibility to take on different roles as needed
• Understanding of economics/entrepreneurship; ability to adapt to complex problems independently
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills
• Excellent English (written and verbal)
• English: Business Conversation Level (TOEIC 735–860)
• Japanese: Native Level

Working Hours

• Up to 3 days per week in-office attendance required

Compensation

• Based on experience

Benefits

• Social insurance
• Education/training
• Flexible working arrangements, paid annual holidays, and sick leave
• Competitive private medical insurance
• Global recognition and rewards program
• Extensive development and training
• Opportunity to work with a culturally diverse global team

Company Info

Monotype brings brands to life through type and technology that consumers interact with daily. The Japan office has 75 employees and a beautiful office space in Tokyo.