Associate Legal Counsel

NBC Universal; City Of London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading media and entertainment company in London seeks a legal professional to draft and negotiate contracts for film and television projects. The ideal candidate will have a legal qualification, excellent attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple assignments in a fast-paced environment. This role includes responsibilities such as legal research and creating agreement templates.

Benefits

Equal employment opportunities

Accessibility support for candidates with disabilities

Qualifications

• Strong educational background in law.
• Experience in drafting and negotiating contracts.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Drafting various legal agreements for film and TV
• Conducting detailed chain of title reviews.
• Preparing deal summaries as required.

Skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Legal research

Education

LLB or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Word

Outlook

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Company Description

Working Title Films, co-chaired by Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, is one of the world's leading British production companies, having created well-loved and critically acclaimed film and TV content for 40 years. The company is proud to have created over 130 films and TV programmes that have grossed over $8.5 billion worldwide and they continue to champion new talent through the London Screen Academy and NBC Universal Global Writers Programme.

The company's projects have received a total of 10 Best Picture Nominations and have won 15 Academy Awards, 11 Golden Globes, over 40 BAFTA Awards and numerous prizes at the Cannes and Berlin International Film Festivals. The commercial and critical hits include titles such as My Beautiful Laundrette, Notting Hill, Elizabeth, Fargo, Atonement, Bridget Jones's Diary, Darkest Hour, Yesterday, The Danish Girl, Baby Driver, Last Night in Soho, Cyrano, Ticket to Paradise, Matilda, The Swimmers, What's Love Got to Do with It?, Polite Society, Blitz, as well as We Are Lady Parts and Everything I Know About Love for Working Title TV.

Recent releases include Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy; The Substance; Coralie Fargeat's body horror with Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley; Honey Don't; Lena Dunham's Too Much series; and other projects in development. This programming exemplifies Working Title's commitment to pushing boundaries and embracing diverse narratives that resonate with contemporary audiences.

Job Description

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

• Development: Drafting option/purchase agreements (and option/quitclaim agreements), option extension letters/amendments, writer agreements, director agreements, producer agreements, copyright assignment agreements, novation agreements, turnaround letters, certificates of engagement, licence agreements, services agreements, publisher's quitclaims, co-development and co-production agreements and acting agreements.
• Projects in pre-production/production/post-production: Drafting (or assisting outside production counsel in doing the same, if applicable), script consultation services agreements, production service agreements, HOD agreements, PACT/Equity cast forms of engagement, minor agreements, VFX agreements, composer agreements, consultancy agreements, location agreements, clearance documentation (including footage licence agreements, prop releases, likeness releases etc.) and any and all other contracts in connection with film/television production.
• Negotiating and finalising the terms of any of the above agreement documents with agents / lawyers in line with WT's policies and practices.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Creating precedent agreements, drafting forms and legal templates for internal use and updating existing precedent agreements /drafting forms in line with policy changes as and when required by the department (or Universal) across both TV and Film.
• Conducting detailed chain of title reviews with respect to certain development projects.
• Conducting legal research using PLC and/or other legal databases and summarising the salient points.
• Preparing accurate and succinct deal summaries (or above the line budget charges) as required.
• Attending internal business-finance meetings with the Finance team and creating/following up on a list of action points.
• Liaising with the Contracts Executive where required (e.g., updating internal trackers).
• Consulting with other lawyers at Universal (e.g., in Labor Relations, IP or Litigation) where certain bespoke drafting may be required or specialist advice is needed.
• Attending PBAC meetings on behalf of WT and updating the team on any key developments across film and/or TV.
• Managing/liaising with the Contracts Executive regarding execution of agreements, including by way of DocuSign.
• Stay current on entertainment law developments, union/guild regulations (SAG-AFTRA, WGA, DGA, etc.), and industry best practices.

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS:

• Academic Legal Qualification i.e. LLB or equivalent. Consideration will be given to candidates with equivalent qualifications from another common law jurisdiction.
• NQ-1 year qualified, ideally with background in film and/or TV and experience in drafting/negotiating the types of contracts referenced above or having completed a seat in IP.
• Strong educational background.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Highly organised and efficient - presents clearly and gets to the point.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with an ability to interact with a range of personalities and establish effective relationships internally and externally.
• Enjoys solving commercial and corporate problems - learns quickly and has clarity of thought.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, changing environment with a diverse and often heavy workload.
• Ability to identify, prioritise and manage urgent work assignments, and manage expectations in respect of other tasks.
• Computer expertise with proficiency in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint.

The candidate must be able to demonstrate as much of the above through her/his CV (both in respect of professional path and extra-curricular achievements) and in interview.

Additional Information

As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with an NBCUniversal employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. NBCUniversal's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request to [e-mail].