Senior Legal Counsel

2K; London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the video games industry is seeking a proactive Senior Legal Counsel to join the Legal & Business Affairs Team. This role includes advising on transactional and compliance matters while managing junior team members, offering a unique opportunity to influence global game releases and collaborate across regions.

Qualifications

• Qualified and experienced in-house lawyer with commercial experience in video games.
• Ability to manage varied workload and lead a team.
• Clear communicator with strong attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Support strategic business units and negotiate agreements.
• Manage compliance with EMEA regulations.
• Supervise junior legal team members.

Skills

Commercial experience

Regulatory compliance advice

Team management

Negotiation

Communication

Education

Qualified in-house lawyer

Job description

Role: Licensing Analyst
Company: SEGA Europe Ltd
Location: Building 12, Chiswick Business Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, London, W4 5AN

Job Summary:
SEGA is seeking a proactive, creative, adaptable and collaborative Senior Legal Counsel to join our Legal & Business Affairs Team. This team is part of SEGA Europe's regional management business, supporting the SEGA West publishing business and Sega West Studios across various disciplines, including product development, marketing, sales, data privacy and compliance. The role involves regular interaction and cooperation with SEGA’s Legal teams in America and Japan on global issues.

The ideal candidate should have demonstrable commercial in-house experience within the video games sector. The role will primarily involve transactional matters and providing regulatory and compliance advice, with opportunities to assist in other areas such as disputes and property matters. You will also be responsible for managing junior team members. Therefore, this role is suitable for an in-house counsel with supervisory/management experience. You will benefit from the guidance of the SVP & Head of Legal, who have over 20 years of combined industry experience. It is essential to possess a strong teamwork ethic and the capacity to collaborate effectively with the Legal team as well as other stakeholders throughout the business.

Key Responsibilities

• Supporting all strategic business units within Sega, including Sega West Publishing, Sega West Studios, and Transmedia West, while collaborating with legal teams in the US and Japan to facilitate the global release of Sega games.
• Negotiating and drafting agreements for third-party vendors supporting development studios and other business units.
• Advising the business on existing and future EMEA regulations to evaluate their impact on Sega’s business and assisting the privacy and compliance team in implementing advice to meet compliance requirements.
• Advising on a range of agreements including licensing agreements, talent agreements (artists/writers/musicians/voice-over artists), localisation agreements, co-development agreements, software licenses, and influencer agreements.
• Leading and supporting business development opportunities for the distribution of Sega games on subscription platforms (e.g. Netflix, Amazon, Apple Arcade, Game Pass).
• Managing the development of junior members of the legal team and supervising the workload of Legal Counsels.
• Supporting the SVP/Head of Legal on various workstreams which may include studio acquisitions, property matters, and litigation/disputes.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Qualified and experienced in-house lawyer. Commercial experience within the video games industry is essential.
• Demonstrable experience on transactional and regulatory and compliance advisory matters.
• Ability to prioritise and manage a varied workload unsupervised and deliver high quality work to deadlines. Able to work independently, supervise others within a team and lead a team on projects.
• Excellent organisational and time-keeping skills, with a strong attention to detail and proactive mindset towards improving legal operations.
• Clear and concise communicator both in writing and verbally.

Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging:

At SEGA, we celebrate diversity and believe in a diverse, inclusive, and equitable world in which everyone feels valued and respected regardless of what they look like or where they come from. Whether you’re a prospective employee or a full-time member of staff, we want you to feel involved and supported in all aspects of our work and to have amazing opportunities during your time with us regardless of your background. We welcome people regardless of age, race, ethnicity, disability, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, neurotype, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave.

SEGA is a place where staff have a voice which is integral to our success as a business. Our inclusive, passionate people are empowered to educate, inform, and build awareness through our inclusion and wellbeing staff led values groups which include DEN (Disability Employee Network), RISE (Reinforcing Inclusion through Solidarity and Equality), Women at SEGA, PRIDE, SEGA Minds (group supporting mental health), Momiji (group that celebrates our Japanese heritage, language, and culture) and VIBE (our social and engagement committee).