Vice President, Legal

SXSW; Austin (TX); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

SXSW seeks a highly experienced Vice President, Legal to lead day-to-day legal operations, structuring strategic deals and overseeing the legal health of SXSW initiatives in a fast-paced entertainment environment. This senior role reports to the Chief Legal Officer through Penske Media Corporation and works cross-functionally with sales, marketing, and operations teams.

Based at SXSW's Austin headquarters, the position requires close collaboration with non-legal departments, managing risk with a

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10–12 years of senior legal experience, including prior in-house work.
• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
• Active membership in a state bar; Texas license preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day legal leadership for SXSW and advise on strategic deals.
• Draft, review, and negotiate complex contracts across events, sponsorships, licenses.
• Manage IP ownership, filings, enforcement, and licensing initiatives.
• Advise on data privacy, compliance, and employment law matters.
• Collaborate with Penske Media Corporation and cross-functional teams.
• Oversee a junior attorney and train staff on legal policies.

Skills

Communication

Collaboration

In-house experience

IP licensing

Data privacy

Employment law

Governance

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Bar admission (Texas preferred)

Job description

Job Purpose

SXSW is seeking a highly motivated, creative Vice President, Legal with 10-12+ years of applicable legal experience to provide day-to-day legal leadership for SXSW. This role requires a commercially minded, deal-focused attorney who views legal as an engine for business growth, is highly collaborative, and enjoys working in a fast-paced environment.

SXSW Vice President, Legal

Job Purpose

SXSW is seeking a highly motivated, creative Vice President, Legal with 10-12+ years of applicable legal experience to provide day-to-day legal leadership for SXSW. This role requires a commercially minded, deal-focused attorney who views legal as an engine for business growth, is highly collaborative, and enjoys working in a fast-paced environment.

Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer of Penske Media Corporation, the parent company of SXSW, the Vice President, Legal will be the most senior attorney dedicated to SXSW initiatives, working cross-functionally with the sales, marketing, and operating teams. The Vice President, Legal will provide legal advice, draft and revise contracts, conduct legal risk assessments, assist with copyright and trademark issues, manage the daily workflow of the department, review cutting-edge legal issues that may impact the business, and assess the legal implications of internal policies and other business decisions in an effort to minimize legal risk and costs.

Duties & Responsibilities

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Review, markup/draft (from forms and from scratch), and negotiate a variety of commercial contracts, including sales and sponsorship agreements, film, TV, and music festival agreements, software and technology license agreements, trademark and content license agreements, talent agreements, independent contractor and venue agreements, and supporting documents across each department.
• Advise on IP ownership, licensing, and usage rights in connection with the creation and distribution of content exhibited across SXSW's events.
• Draft, review, and revise website policies, including, without limitation, terms of use, privacy policy, and purchase terms.
• Safeguard SXSW's intellectual property rights by coordinating trademark filings, managing SXSW's trademark portfolio, and pursuing enforcement actions as needed.
• Work closely with outside counsel concerning trademark issues, litigation, insurance, data privacy, liquor, visas, and other matters.
• Manage contracts workflow, improve processes, and train non-legal departments to use templates to increase efficiency.
• Collaborate with Penske Media Corporation on cross- brand initiatives and coordinate with the PMC Legal team
• Collaborate with non-legal SXSW departments to establish and review company-wide policies.
• General legal analysis, research, and advice on issues associated with new company initiatives.
• Provide support to HR on employment matters.
• Manage one junior attorney.
• Train non-legal staff on privilege, data privacy, and other legal matters.

Qualifications & Skills

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10-12 years of experience in a senior legal role, including prior in-house experience
• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school.
• Active membership in a state bar (Texas law license preferred)

Preferred Experience

• Experience working in live media and events and/or the entertainment industry
• Deep understanding of intellectual property including trademark protection and enforcement, copyright, rights of publicity, and licensing initiatives
• Strong experience with copyright and trademark law and drafting licenses in the current digital media landscape.
• Experience with data privacy
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with non-legal teams and provide clear, practical legal guidance.
• Experience with employment law and corporate governance is a plus
• Ability to prioritize a wide range of issues

Preferred Skills/Abilities

• Ability to manage an increased workload during Q1 and Q4 in the run-up to the annual event
• Ability to manage multiple legal projects simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail.
• Highly organized
• Consistent follow-up
• Willingness to speak up in a group
• Familiarity with technical solutions to enhance workflows and willingness to maintain the current systems in place

Direct Reports

Associate General Counsel

Work Location & Schedule

The role is based in SXSW's corporate headquarters in Austin, Texas.

As SXSW values in-person collaboration and team cohesion, employees work onsite 4 days a week (Monday through Thursday) and 1 day remotely (Friday) with a focus on maintaining a vibrant and inclusive culture. Must be available to work additional hours from January-March, including evenings and weekends, in support of the annual event.