Legal Counsel

Kinetic Games; Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A dynamic games studio in Southampton is looking for a Video Games Counsel to provide legal support across various areas including intellectual property and contracts. The ideal candidate has over 2 years of experience in the video game industry, strong communication skills, and is comfortable working in a collaborative environment. This position offers a hybrid working model with benefits such as flextime and industry event travel opportunities.

Benefits

Weekly free team lunches

Regular social events

Flextime

Opportunities to travel to industry events

Relocation package

Training & Development Budget

30 days holiday, including birthday

Christmas studio shutdown

Qualifications

• 2+ years PQE within Video Games or an adjacent industry.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both written and verbally.
• Comfortable drafting and reviewing a variety of commercial agreements.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and practical advice on litigation, commercial, and data protection matters.
• Coordinate business legal transactions and liaise with external solicitors.
• Negotiate video game specific and other commercial contracts.

Skills

Strong communicator

Team player

Commercial agreements drafting

Experience in legal matters in video games

Job description

We’re an independent games studio best known for creating Phasmophobia, enjoyed by millions of players worldwide. Our team is passionate, creative, and collaborative and we’re looking for someone equally enthusiastic about games to join our growing team.

We’re a small, friendly team that values creativity, openness, and personal growth. Whether you’re helping various departments or talking about your favourite horror game, you’ll be part of a supportive environment where passion and curiosity are celebrated. You’ll be joining a small but ambitious team where your ideas are valued, your growth is supported, and your development truly matters.

About the role:

We are currently looking for a Video Games Counsel to support our studio with all areas of legal across the business of video games. This role reports to the Head of Operations and works to support all disciplines across the studio relating to legal matters in the UK and globally to include matters of intellectual property, contracts and partnerships, publishing, agreements and compliance. This role is ideal for a strong communicator able to work with a variety of diverse personalities and disciplines with an interest in varied and dynamic responsibilities.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Provide strategic and practical advice to the business on matters of litigation, commercial, data protection and privacy, employment, regulatory, IP, and other video games related matters.
• Coordinate business legal transactions including liaising with external solicitors on partnerships, agreements and compliance, supporting the Head of Operations, the CEO and heads of departments on all relevant matters.
• Review, draft and participate as required in the negotiation of video game specific and other commercial contracts.
• Liaise with external bodies and internal stakeholders on new regulatory developments relevant to the video games industry, and provide support on changing regulations and requirements.
• Provide pro‑active updates on areas of risk and opportunity within the legal
• Support Human Resources with employment matters including day‑to‑day queries, contracts, policies and litigation.
• Create, communicate and execute policies, procedures and practices for legal within the company and support compliance.
• Produce periodic updates and reports for leadership.

Requirements:

• 2+ years PQE within Video Games or an adjacent industry
• A strong communicator with a focus on being able to provide communication in a clear and concise manner written and verbally.
• Strong team player able to build strong relationships and collaborate across a variety of stakeholder teams.
• Comfortable drafting and reviewing a range of commercial agreements including licensing, merchandise, partnerships and publishing agreements.
• Experience of reviewing game content to provide clearance for copyright, trademark, publicity or other associated issues.
• Confident remote worker with a stable environment to work from.
• Eligibility to work in the UK.

Nice To Have:

• Experience of employment law.
• Experience of publishing agreements and contracts.
• Passion for the paranormal, ghost stories, or the supernatural

🌍 Remote working – with occasional travel to our Southampton office and other locations as required.

🍽️ Weekly free team lunches – good food, great company!

🎉 Regular social events – we love bringing our teams together!

🏠 Hybrid & flexible working options

🕓 Flextime – because life doesn’t always fit 9–5

✈️ Opportunities to travel to amazing industry events like GDC, Gamescom, TwitchCon (EU & US), EGX & Develop:Brighton

📦 Relocation package to help you settle in

🏅 Employee of the Month vouchers

🎓 Training & Development Budget – invest in your growth with courses, conferences & learning resources

🎂 30 days holiday , including your birthday and a dedicated wellbeing day

🎄 Christmas studio shutdown – enjoy the holidays, on us!

The pay range for this role is:

50,000 - 75,000 GBP per year (Remote (Southampton, England, GB))