Job Introduction
***You must be legally authorized to work in the United States in order to be considered for this role.
Job Purpose
- Structure, negotiate and draft all business and legal terms of agreements relating to the development and production of scripted and unscripted television programs for
- television and/or digital customers.
- Negotiate, review and comment on network commissioning agreements in conjunction with the Vice President and other department heads across the LA Production business.
- Focus will be on all aspects of unscripted development and production and scripted development (working on underlying rights analysis and deals, and writer, director and talent attachment agreements).
- Counsel the client groups on a wide variety of other legal matters, including guild/union and labor issues, intellectual property rights, insurance, product integrations, online and music issues, and performing other day-to-day business and legal affairs-related tasks as needed.
Main Responsibilities
- Act as a liaison between the company’s creative executives and the creative community (i.e., talent agencies, talent managers, entertainment law firms, studios and production companies).
- Support all business and legal affairs aspects of unscripted programs once ordered to production.
- Advise on union and guild matters related to development and production.
- Maintain template forms and implement BBC Studios’ policy.
- Handle business and legal interactions with BBC Studios’ offices in other territories as necessary.
- Communicate legal restrictions and requirements to all necessary departments across the organization and internally within the LA Production Business.
- Ensure all necessary sign offs/approvals have been received in connection with deals being done for rights coming into the LA Production business and rights being granted out to third parties.
- Work with Americas BLA team to create and implement approvals process for deals/agreements and to ensure that all the business and legal affairs needs of the LA Production Business are being met.
Are you the right candidate?
- JD degree and active member of CA bar
- Deep knowledge of entertainment industry, entertainment transactions and strong relationships within the industry.
- Minimum of 5 years of prior business or legal affairs transactional experience, ideally gained at a television production company, network, talent agency and/or entertainment law firm.
- Extensive unscripted and scripted television business & legal affairs experience required.
- Familiarity with and understanding of industry standards for writer, director, talent, underlying rights, and network agreements.
- Experience acting as production counsel for unscripted television programs; scripted television production experience also beneficial.
- Working familiarity with major above-the-line guild agreements and requirements.
- Outstanding analytic, negotiation and legal drafting skills.
- Ability to identify and resolve legal issues quickly and communicate effectively to all levels of the organization.
- Highly organized, detail oriented and self-motivated.
- Ability to manage multiple matters and accommodate tight deadlines while working in a fast-paced environment; flexibility or long hours if and when necessary.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Positive and professional manner.
- Ability to be discreet with confidential information.
- Ability to work independently but also be a team player.
Type: Full-time, Permanent.