Counsel - ESPN

Responsibilities

• Maintains current knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local laws and of industry legal standards and norms; analyzes how these might impact ESPN.
• Drafts contracts and other legal documents, recommends approval/modification of contracts proposed by outside parties, and negotiates with outside parties. Assists with/supports comparable tasks in other areas outside of core expertise/primary responsibility.
• Possesses and maintains (including through Department designated continuing legal education) knowledge in specialized legal areas, specifically in connection with (1) content (including audiovisual programming, licensing and production); (2) intellectual property (copyright, trademark, rights of publicity); (3) distribution (including affiliation agreements, licensing and/or commission/agency based third-party distribution of audiovisual content including networks, digital applications (apps) and others); and/or (4) ad sales.
• Keeps internal clients fully informed of relevant legal issues and implications of their current operations and proposed actions, and advises them accordingly of risks and legal consequences of alternative actions.
• Reviews and edits significant letters, work orders and other documents from applicable client departments to ensure that potential legal implications are appropriately addressed.
• Manages outside counsel in their representation of ESPN on litigation and other legal matters.
• May directly supervise, on a non-exclusive basis, one or more Paralegal and Legal Assistant colleagues.
• As requested by the Deputy Chief Counsel and/or Chief Counsel, participates in relevant professional associations, seminars, and conferences.
• Operates within the context of defined corporate strategies.
• Recommends and, with appropriate approvals, implements enhancements and improvements to established processes and workflows.
• Translates corporate strategy into mid- and long-term goals and the analysis and evaluation of trends in ESPN’s legal positioning and compliance into recommended corporate actions.
• Performs such other duties or functions as the Chief Counsel, Deputy Chief Counsel, Assistant Chief Counsel or an attorney reporting to any of them may delegate to her or him.
• Conceives and recommends strategies and initiatives to minimize the legal risks of current operations and proposed actions.

Basic Qualifications

• At least 2 years of contract law experience, including extensive drafting, in either a transactional or litigation capacity.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with distribution (including affiliation agreements, licensing and/or commission/agency based third-party distribution of audiovisual content including networks, digital applications (apps) and others)
• Familiarity with content agreement negotiating (including, by way of example only, audiovisual programming, licensing and production agreements) and intellectual property law (copyright, trademark, rights of publicity)
• Familiarity with the entertainment, broadcast/cable, Internet, mobile and/or sports businesses
• Familiarity with audiovisual production legal work, including licensing of audiovisual content and data components
• Familiarity with ad sales matters
• Experience supervising paralegal/legal support staff
• Position title may be adjusted based on years of relevant experience

Required Education

• JD law degree from an accredited law school
• Bar admittee; eligibility for Connecticut Authorized House Counsel status, if not already admitted to the bar in Connecticut

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