Senior Counsel, Legal Affairs, Paramount Television Studios

Overview & Responsibilities

Lead and/or assist in the drafting of a wide range of complex agreements essential to scripted television, including:

• Acquisitions: Rights/Underlying Property acquisitions (e.g., life rights, book options/purchases).
• Above-the-Line Talent: Deals for A-list writers, producers (overall deals), directors, and principal cast.
• Production & Co-Production: Domestic and international co-production agreements, financing, and production services agreements.
• Licensing & Distribution: Deals for the sale/license of studio-produced content to third-party platforms (e.g., streamers, networks) and international distributors.
• Legal Counsel & Risk Management: Provide timely, practical and strategic legal advice to the Development, Production, and Finance teams regarding legal risks, rights analysis, chain-of-title, intellectual property, clearances, and guild/union compliance (WGA, DGA, SAG-AFTRA).
• Identify and evaluate business and legal risks and find creative resolutions that mitigate risk while achieving business goals.
• Policy & Procedure: Develop and implement best practices, forms, and legal policies to increase efficiency and maintain a high standard of legal compliance across all studio operations.
• Rights Management & IP: Partner with internal IP and Rights Management teams, as well as outside counsel, on rights matters, copyright and trademark matters, and clearance issues.

Basic Qualifications

• 8+ years' experience drafting and/or negotiating a wide range of commercial transactional documents and contracts on scripted television development and production at a major production company, television studio, network, streamer, or top-tier entertainment law firm.
• Juris Doctorate (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.
• California Bar Membership (in good standing) or eligibility to register as in-house counsel in California.
• Extensive experience with intellectual property law (copyright and trademark).
• Exemplary drafting and/or negotiation skills with high attention to detail.

Additional Qualifications

• Top-notch communication skills, judgment, and strategic analysis.
• Impressive interpersonal and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate skillfully with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
• Demonstrated ability to oversee multiple projects simultaneously.

Qualifications

• Strong transactional skills, a sophisticated understanding of the evolving content landscape, an ability to manage multiple high-stakes matters simultaneously, and a great balance of legal expertise and business acumen required.
• Proven ability to oversee a high volume of transactions while prioritizing key deadlines across various business teams.

Pay & Benefits

• Hiring Salary Range: $170,000.00 - 195,000.00.
• The hiring salary range for this position applies to New York, California, Colorado, Washington state, and most other geographies.
• Starting pay for the successful applicant depends on a variety of job-related factors, including but not limited to geographic location, market demands, experience, training, and education.
• The benefits available for this position include medical, dental, vision, 401(k) plan, life insurance coverage, disability benefits, tuition assistance program and PTO or, if applicable, as otherwise dictated by the appropriate Collective Bargaining Agreement.
• This position is bonus eligible.