Associate General Counsel

Reporting to the Production General Counsel, the Associate General Counsel is responsible for transactional and contractual related activities (e.g., Production, Licensing, and Distribution) in support of assigned WNET Production Units. The position will be responsible for the negotiation and administration of deals involving co-production partners, licensors, licensees, rights and clearances, and vendors, and for providing ongoing legal advice on a variety of topics related to such productions and departments. In addition, the Associate General Counsel will conduct pre-broadcast content review.

Key responsibilities include :

• Structures, negotiates, and participates in complex business deals, including production, licensing and distribution deals, service contracts, document agreements, etc.
• Advises various internal clients from various departments on relevant deal terms, interpretation and implementation.
• Ensures that all deals are compliant with various regulations and guidelines.
• Negotiates license agreements with third party licensors/vendors for inclusion of various elements (e.g., clips, photographs,) in support of programming.
• Ensures “Fair Use” standards are appropriately managed and implemented.
• Manages contracts with funding partners and other third parties with respect to production funding/grants, licensing and distribution rights.
• Evaluates copyrights, trademarks and other intellectual property issues to ensure legal compliance.
• Handles production-related pre-litigation work, including drafting responses to demand letters.
• Negotiates, drafts and administers various grant, gift and corporate underwriting agreements, and “partnering” agreements with other non-profits.
• Structures and negotiates agreements in support of the promotion and distribution of WNET content on-line and via other new and emerging digital platforms, including FAST (free ad-supported television) channels and social media.

Qualified candidates will possess excellent interpersonal skills with/ability to successfully deal with third party representatives, production companies, and attorneys. Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and solid organizational and time management skills will be needed. Additional qualifications include:

• Bachelor's degree; JD degree; License to practice law in New York required; New Jersey a plus.
• Minimum 7 years’ law firm and/or in-house legal experience or equivalent (experience at a recognized entertainment law firm or in-house position with a media company preferred).
• Ability to negotiate, analyze, and draft a wide variety of media-related agreements (i.e. Licensing, Co-production, Distribution, etc.).
• Solid substantive knowledge of contract and intellectual property law required; knowledge of entertainment, privacy, music, non-profit or telecommunications law a plus.
• Sharp business acumen, sound judgment, and strategic deal-making ability.
• Knowledge and experience with FAST (free ad-supported television) channels, Privacy Law and/or Labor Agreements/Arbitration a plus.

This is a hybrid position. The WNET Group reserves the right to change and/or modify the hybrid schedule at its discretion.

The WNET Group

825 Eighth Avenue

New York, NY 10019-7435

The WNET Group believes that diversity is about learning from others who are not the same, and that differences such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, and other statutorily protected characteristics or other ideologies can enhance the work we do in public media. We believe that as a diverse and inclusive organization, recognizing the unique and multiple perspectives of our employees, we can better fulfill our mission. As a public media institution, our message is enhanced by our diverse workforce where everyone is empowered to make a difference.

WNET is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, religion, creed, color, age, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy or pregnancy related condition, marital and partnership status, familial status, arrest or conviction record, union membership, status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking or sex offense, unemployment status, caregiver status, credit history, salary history, military status, predisposing genetic characteristics, an employee's or an employee's dependent's sexual and reproductive health decisions, as well as all other classifications protected by applicable laws.

The WNET Group offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment. Salary ranges are based on benchmarked nonprofit and industry related data provided by an outside consulting firm and are commensurate with skills and experience. The hiring salary range for this position is $98,875 .00 - $110,000.00. Internal equity considerations will be reviewed before making a final offer.