Associate General Counsel, Legal Department

This is a Full Time Job

Reporting to the Production General Counsel, the Associate General Counsel is responsible for transactional and contractual related activities (e.g., Production, Licensing, and Distribution) in support of assigned WNET Production Units. The position will be responsible for the negotiation and administration of deals involving co-production partners, licensors, licensees, rights and clearances, and vendors, and for providing ongoing legal advice on a variety of topics related to such productions and departments. In addition, the Associate General Counsel will conduct pre-broadcast content review. Key responsibilities include:

• Structures, negotiates, and participates in complex business deals, including production, licensing and distribution deals, service contracts, document agreements, etc.
• Advises various internal clients from various departments on relevant deal terms, interpretation and implementation.
• Ensures that all deals are compliant with various regulations and guidelines.
• Negotiates license agreements with third party licensors/vendors for inclusion of various elements (e.g., clips, photographs,) in support of programming.
• Ensures ''Fair Use'' standards are appropriately managed and implemented.
• Manages contracts with funding partners and other third parties with respect to production funding/grants, licensing and distribution rights.
• Evaluates copyrights, trademarks and other intellectual property issues to ensure legal compliance.
• Handles production-related pre-litigation work, including drafting responses to demand letters.
• Negotiates, drafts and administers various grant, gift and corporate underwriting agreements, and ''partnering'' agreements with other non-profits.
• Structures and negotiates agreements in support of the promotion and distribution of WNET content on-line and via other new and emerging digital platforms, including FAST (free ad-supported television) channels and social media.

Qualified candidates will possess excellent interpersonal skills with/ability to successfully deal with third party representatives, production companies, and attorneys. Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and solid organizational and time management skills will be needed. Additional qualifications include:

• Bachelor's degree; JD degree; License to practice law in New York required; New Jersey a plus.
• Minimum 7 years' law firm and/or in-house legal experience or equivalent (experience at a recognized entertainment law firm or in-house position with a media company preferred).
• Ability to negotiate, analyze, and draft a wide variety of media-related agreements (i.e. Licensing, Co-production, Distribution, etc.).
• Solid substantive knowledge of contract and intellectual property law required; knowledge of entertainment, privacy, music, non-profit or telecommunications law a plus.
• Sharp business acumen, sound judgment, and strategic deal-making ability.

Knowledge and experience with FAST (free ad-supported television) channels, Privacy Law and/or Labor Agreements/Arbitration a plus.

This is a hybrid position. The WNET Group reserves the right to change and/or modify the hybrid schedule at its discretion.