Senior Counsel (Contract)

Major League Baseball; New York (NY); On-site; USD 205,000 - 232,000; Full time

Job summary

Major League Baseball seeks a Senior Counsel to support the Business Development team by structuring, drafting, and negotiating bespoke commercial agreements. Based in New York City, this role handles inbound contracts and risk assessments for gaming, sports betting, and federally regulated financial markets.

The ideal candidate has a J.D., New York Bar eligibility, 5+ years of experience, and strong drafting, negotiation, and regulatory skills. In-office presence five days a week is required.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited U.S. law school.
• Active member in good standing of the New York State Bar or eligibility to gain Admission by Motion.
• Minimum of 5 years of practicing legal experience, preferably with top-tier or boutique law firm experience.
• Strong command of contracts, intellectual property, and general corporate law.
• Advanced drafting, negotiating, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent organizational and project management abilities; ability to implement process improvements.
• Extensive experience with gaming, sports betting, and federally regulated financial markets preferred.

Responsibilities

• Structure, draft, and lead negotiations for complex commercial agreements, especially in gaming, sports betting, and federally regulated financial markets.
• Develop and maintain expertise on industry trends, regulations, and business models.
• Create and maintain standard positions, templates, and playbooks for MLB Business Development.
• Provide guidance to internal stakeholders on agreements, policies, and governing documents.
• Identify and mitigate legal and reputational risks and report to executive leadership.
• Collaborate with MLB’s Business Development team to evaluate opportunities.
• Manage outside counsel as needed.

Skills

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Legal research

Regulatory knowledge

Leadership

Education

J.D. from an accredited U.S. law school

Job description

Major League Baseball is looking for a Senior Counsel in the Legal Department to support MLB’s Business Development team by structuring, drafting, and negotiating bespoke commercial agreements, while managing high‑stakes inbound contracts from diverse counterparties. The role will support legal work for complex commercial transactions, preferably in the areas of gaming, sports betting, and federally regulated financial markets, and will report directly to the Senior Vice President and Head Counsel, Policy, Integrity & Compliance within MLB’s Legal Department.

Responsibilities

• Structure, draft, and lead negotiations for complex commercial agreements and other legal documents as required, with concentration in the areas of gaming, sports betting, and federally regulated financial market transactions
• Develop and maintain subject matter expertise on gaming, sports betting, and federally regulated financial market industry trends, regulations, and business models
• Develop, revise, and maintain standardized positions, templates, and playbooks for current and emerging business lines managed by MLB’s Business Development team
• Provide interpretation, counsel, and strategic guidance to internal stakeholders with respect to all current agreements, policies, and governing documents, with particular focus on the areas of gaming, sports betting, and federally regulated financial market transactions
• Proactively identify and mitigate legal, reputational, and operational risks inherent to emerging business opportunities and deliver decisive, clear, and business‑minded risk assessments directly to executive leadership
• Work collaboratively with MLB’s Business Development team to vet potential business opportunities
• Effectively manage outside counsel, as necessary

Qualifications & Skills

• J.D. from an accredited U.S. law school
• Active member in good standing of the New York State Bar or eligibility to gain Admission by Motion
• Minimum of 5 years of practicing legal experience required, preferably with foundational training within a top‑tier law firm or boutique corporate law firm
• Strong command of contracts, intellectual property, and general corporate law
• Advanced drafting, negotiating, and problem‑solving skills
• Outstanding organizational skills and project management competence with proven ability to recommend and implement process improvements and efficiencies
• Extensive experience with licensed gaming, sports betting, and/or federally regulated financial markets strongly preferred
• This position is based in New York City and requires in‑office attendance five days per week

Other Key Attributes

• Strong oral and written communication (including editing) skills
• Professional demeanor, organized, and detail‑oriented
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively
• Ideal candidates will have an interest and aptitude to take on leadership roles
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and develop strategies to prioritize complex legal issues under tight operational timelines
• Ability to quickly build credibility and influence among executives, peers, and external stakeholders

Pay Range: $9,000.00 - $10,200.00 biweekly

The actual offer will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including your work experience, education, skills, and any other factors MLB considers relevant to the hiring decision.

Note: This role is temporary and not eligible for standard full‑time employee benefits and bonuses.

Why MLB?

Major League Baseball (MLB) is the most historic of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. Employees love working at MLB because of the culture of growth, teamwork, and professionalism. Employees who are most successful at MLB take initiative, know how to identify problems and provide solutions, and always put the Team first. For those ready to step up to the plate and join the major leagues, MLB takes the same approach as teams do with their players: empowering our “workforce athletes” to be at their best by engineering experiences that put employees in the best position to succeed. Major League Baseball is looking for candidates who are passionate about growing America’s pastime to best serve its fans for decades to come.

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