Counsel, Legal, Content

Warner Bros. Entertainment; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading entertainment company in Greater London seeks an enthusiastic Counsel for its Legal Department. The role involves negotiating commercial and legal terms for programming agreements, advising on legal matters in productions, and ensuring compliance with internal guidelines. Candidates should possess excellent negotiation and organizational skills, with experience in media or television business. This fixed-term position offers a hybrid working arrangement, combining remote and office work according to company policy.

Qualifications

• Experience in media or television-related business.
• Knowledge of business and legal affairs in entertainment.
• Ability to handle high volumes of work under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Negotiate commercial and legal terms for programming.
• Draft and negotiate various agreements.
• Support legal and business affairs for productions.

Skills

Negotiation skills

Contract analysis

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Job description

Welcome to Warner Bros. Discovery… the stuff dreams are made of.

Who We Are…

When we say, “the stuff dreams are made of,” we’re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD’s vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what’s next…

From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive.

Your New Role...

This is a fixed-term position covering maternity.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s BLA, Legal Department seeks an enthusiastic, and motivated Counsel, BLA, Legal, to work within all commercial and legal aspects of WBD’s content commission, co‑production, acquisition and talent deals for Discovery's products across the EMEA markets, with a focus on Italy, Spain, France and Kids content for EMEA. The successful candidate will have experience in commercial intellectual property matters, a strong commercial acumen and a pragmatic approach. Extensive contacts amongst programme producers and distributors would be an advantage.

Your Role Accountabilities...

• Negotiate all commercial and legal terms relating to the acquisition, commissioning development, and co‑production of programming for Warner Brother Discovery’s services across the international regions within internal budget guidelines and channels’ requirements.
• Draft and negotiate programming agreements such as development, acquisition, commission, co‑production, format and licensing agreements and associated agreements such as distribution agreements, independent contractor agreements, location and participant release agreements.
• Liaise with network and third‑party production companies and distributors to negotiate and complete such agreements.
• Support and work closely with the Business Affairs & Legal Senior Director, creative teams and production management to advise on legal and business affairs matters relating to local productions, anticipate any legal and rights concerns and offer solutions to eliminate risk. Offer advice on matters such as budgets, risk assessments, duty of care, copyright, clearance issues, insurance and review talent agreements, contributor releases, legal opinions and any other third‑party agreements associated with productions.
• Establish, maintain and develop relationship with internal key stakeholders.
• Working closely with local content teams and the central EMEA content team responsible for sourcing content.
• Establish maintain and develop relationships with key content suppliers.
• Provide market intelligence research and support for business initiatives as directed.
• Provide on‑going general business and legal advice to internal clients concerning production, broadcast clearance, copyright and other intellectual property and content‑related issues, as they arise.
• Trouble shoot various programming business and legal issues, including drafting responses to claim letters, drafting delay notification letters, termination agreements, assisting with pre‑publication review and legal compliance content review, and liaising internally and externally as appropriate regarding high exposure rights clearances.
• Updating the department’s template agreements.
• Revise and update the internal database and such other information tracking mechanisms in use within the company.
• Supporting other company business initiatives as directed.

Qualifications & Experience...

• Experience working in media or television related business and/or knowledge of business and legal affairs in the entertainment industry, including commissioning and acquiring TV rights preferable.
• Excellent negotiation, drafting and contract analysis skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including clear and effective communication at junior and senior level within and outside the company.
• Good organizational skills and ability to work well under pressure.
• Ability to handle high volume of work, as well as recognize priorities and manage time effectively to meet deadlines.

Hybrid Working - This role is advertised as a Hybrid work model, that combines remote and in‑office work, following our current company policy and to be agreed with your Line Manager. Subject to any applicable laws, WBD / your Line Manager reserves the right to change this working agreement where this is essential to business needs and upon reasonable notice to you.

How We Get Things Done…

This last bit is probably the most important! Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at www.wbd.com/guiding-principles/ along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview.

Championing Inclusion at WBD

Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects a wide array of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, disability or any other category protected by law.

If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and/or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page for instructions to submit your request.