Director, Legal, Technology and Commercial

Warner Bros. Discovery; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A global media company is seeking a qualified lawyer with strong technology transactional experience to draft and negotiate commercial contracts. This role emphasizes collaboration with various business functions including Technology & Operations and M&A. The successful candidate will provide legal advice on diverse legal matters, particularly in the entertainment industry. A hybrid working model is offered, allowing for a blend of remote and in-office work, supporting diverse perspectives in the workplace.

Qualifications

• Must be a qualified lawyer with excellent academics and experience at a top law firm.
• Strong technology transactional experience, with a preference for media industry knowledge.
• Required: superior drafting and negotiating skills.

Responsibilities

• Draft and negotiate technology-related agreements.
• Provide legal advice on production licensing and intellectual property.
• Support M&A and Corporate Development with legal matters.
• Collaborate with internal teams on various legal issues.

Skills

Technology transactional experience

Drafting and negotiating skills

Knowledge of technology industry

Education

UK qualified lawyer

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 were not just referring to the world of wizards dragons and superheroes or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBDs 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 whats next

Your New Role...

The successful applicant will draft and negotiate a broad range of commercial and technology contracts in close contact with other legal teams. The team has particular focus on supporting Technology & Operations (T&O) digital products TNT Sports Olympics and sports events operations M&A activities finance & tax and other business critical functions.

The role involves close liaison with the relevant commercial stakeholders and providing legal advice to the business on a wide range of issues as well as occasional dispute resolution management.

Your Role Accountabilities

• Drafting and negotiating technology related agreements including software and technology license / development agreements, SaaS agreements, consulting services agreements and statements of work
• Providing strategic legal advice and counsel on a variety of production licensing, intellectual property, commercial and other legal topics
• Areas supported in the T&O and digital product business lines include technology and operations infrastructure and data platforms that support our theatrical and television studio productions; linear broadcasting; digital brands; direct-to-consumer and streaming platforms; software and application licensing and development; data science and data strategy; distribution technologies (digital / physical); production and post-production technologies; media supply chain (content workflow and management); enterprise systems and solutions; IT and telecoms; information security and data privacy; digital and linear advertising sales technology; payment processing technologies; emerging technology and artificial intelligence intake management and processes
• Working closely with and supporting WBD Sports in respect of the Olympic Games, TNT Sports and other sports events and the related production distribution logistics studio and technology requirements and projects
• Other support areas include :
• supporting the M&A and Corporate Development teams on services systems consolidation and integration related elements of transactions;
• supporting the finance and tax teams with cap-leasing arrangements, intercompany transfer-pricing agreements, group-wide intragroup projects;
• supporting the People & Culture PR & Marketing teams, Ad Sales and Ad Tech teams, global Company Secretarial with ad-hoc tasks and bespoke commercial arrangements
• Creating and maintaining standardized template agreements for key service areas and updating legal knowhow
• Coordinating legal matters with other internal divisions and/or outside counsel and implementing best practices
• Resolving legal queries of a varied nature and providing overall advice relating to all aspects of television broadcasting / distribution / programming across the international region

Qualifications & Experience

• Must be UK (or comparable jurisdiction) qualified lawyer - excellent academics; training and experience at top law firm
• A strong technology transactional experience at a reputable law firm and/or comparable in-house experience
• Substantive work in and knowledge of the technology industry; experience in the entertainment or media industries preferred
• Excellent academic credentials and references
• Superior drafting and negotiating skills

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 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 youre 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.