Counsel / Senior Counsel, News Group

Job Description

Responsibilities
NBCUniversal News Legal Group
The NBCUniversal News Legal Group supports NBC News Studios, NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, NBCUniversal Owned Stations, Telemundo and E! News. The Group's content lawyers advise on newsgathering, pre-broadcast and pre-publication review, intellectual property, and regulatory issues. The Group's transactional attorneys cover licensing, digital, production, talent, development, events and partnership deals. The Group is located primarily in New York City, with some News lawyers in New Jersey, Miami, London and Singapore.

Position Overview
The Senior Counsel, News Group, will serve as an entertainment lawyer to NBC News Group with a focus on unscripted and documentary series, specials and films for NBC News Studios, MSNBC Long Form and CNBC Prime. The role involves negotiating and drafting a broad range of television and film production deals for both NBC News Studios as the production company and our news business acquiring or co-developing content with a third-party production company. This attorney will also be the primary network production lawyer for CNBC Prime.

Responsibilities:
• For NBC News Studios, which develops premium documentary series, specials and films, negotiate and draft shopping/development, production services, co-production, director, executive producer, talent, consultant, vendor and license agreements.
• For CNBC Prime, which engages third-party production companies to produce unscripted programming, negotiate and draft production services, indemnity, license, executive producer and talent agreements. Advise on diverse production legal risks and issues (e.g. COVID compliance, diligence, casting, insurance, intellectual property, integrations), liaise with internal creative, production management and executive clients, and oversee production company counsel.
• For MSNBC Long Form, negotiate and draft license, production services, indemnity and talent agreements.
• Advise on strategy, deal structure, risk and dispute resolution.
• Negotiate and draft other general commercial agreements to support NBC News Group, such as sponsorship, venue, and partnership contracts.
• Partner with specialist lawyers in NBCUniversal's Legal Department and other NBCU experts on defamation, finance, tax, insurance, employment, intellectual property, privacy and immigration issues.
• Support and partner with legal colleagues in the News Group; contribute to an inclusive, collaborative team culture; take initiative to deliver value and support the production and distribution of the highest quality news content in the industry.

Qualifications/Requirements
• Minimum of 5 years entertainment business and legal affairs experience for Counsel position and minimum of 7 years entertainment business and legal affairs experience for Senior Counsel position
• Law degree from an ABA-accredited law school. Member in good standing of the State Bar of New York or another State Bar and registered as in-house counsel.

Desired Characteristics
• Demonstrated passion for news.
• High level of integrity and professionalism.
• Demonstrated ability to develop strong working relationships; exercise sound, practical judgment; prioritize a high volume workload; work independently and part of a team in a fast-paced environment; proactively identify legal issues and resolve them quickly; embrace new or creative legal models and accept reasonable levels of risk; and master new areas of expertise as business needs change.
• Experience negotiating complex entertainment deals strongly preferred.
• Strong background in copyright law and intellectual property.
• Excellent negotiation, drafting, problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Experience working at a television network, streaming service, production company, or major law firm.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-rj22me-18-188-20-56-42 in your application.