Counsel, Business & Legal Affairs

Position Reports To: Sr. Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs

Position Summary: MLB Network seeks a Counsel, Business and Legal Affairs with a strong knowledge and understanding of the legal and business issues related to media/production, and strong negotiation and drafting skills. The Counsel, Business & Legal Affairs, will be responsible for a variety of matters, including services agreements, production related agreements, talent agreements, software and other technology related agreements, licensing and programming agreements, third party rights clearances, distribution agreements, contract summaries, confidentiality, and general contract matters. In addition, the Counsel, Business and Legal Affairs will oversee risk management practices and strategies.

Responsibilities: Specific responsibilities include:

• Draft and/or negotiate a wide variety of agreements and other documents, including services agreements in support of studio and remote production operations, software and other technology-related agreements, transmission related agreements, event-related agreements, talent agreements, distribution agreements and license agreements (e.g., content).
• Draft, negotiate, and coordinate with internal groups on clearances, including location releases, appearance releases, and consents.
• Assist with counseling various departments on transactional, business, and legal matters pertaining to remote operations, field and studio production, affiliate sales and distribution, marketing/on-air promotions, music and media clearances, privacy and security, information technology and engineering, finance, and human resources.
• Collaborate with internal teams on time-sensitive projects and translate business objectives into agreements.
• Oversee and manage the Company’s incident reporting database and other risk management/mitigation matters.
• Stay apprised of regulatory, data privacy, intellectual property and other federal and state legal developments relevant to the Company’s business.
• Track, analyze and summarize various agreement terms.
• Advise departments on contractual terms.
• Develop and revise contract templates, as necessary.
• General contract review.
• Support senior attorneys/Company, as needed.
• Other such duties as required.

It is expected that the Counsel, Business and Legal Affairs will maintain and increase knowledge in media law as well as the business on an ongoing basis.

Skills & Experience: The ideal candidate must have most if not all of the following skills and experiences:

• A minimum of two years of legal experience in a media and/or entertainment transactional environment, either in-house or with a law firm, is required.
• Extensive knowledge of contract, intellectual property, and general corporate law is required.
• Experience in the television, music, and/or production industries is preferred.
• Possess excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Outstanding drafting, analytical, and negotiating skills.
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with individuals and groups both internally and externally.
• Be extremely well organized, self-motivated, and demonstrate initiative and an ability to complete multiple assignments in an efficient, and timely manner.
• Demonstrated success in building internal and external relationships.
• Individual must work well in a dynamic environment and be able to recommend and implement process improvements, work independently and handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Demonstrate the tact, diplomacy, decisiveness, and superior people skills required in the pressurized environment of live television.
• The ability to effectively take on leadership roles in various functions is required.
• Must demonstrate a solid work ethic, resourceful nature, unquestionable integrity, and eagerness to take on new challenges in a demanding, fast paced environment.
• Effectively utilize Word and Excel.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including nights, weekends, and holidays when necessary.
• Ability to travel domestically and/or internationally as required.
• Ability to lift up to 25 pounds.
• Possess the cognitive abilities required to perform effectively as Counsel.
• Possess visual acuity sufficient to perform required tasks.
• Possess manual dexterity sufficient to perform required tasks.
• Possess a level of hearing sufficient for effective interaction with stakeholders by various means, including in-person, via phone, etc.

Education: Bachelor’s degree and JD are required.