SENIOR COUNSEL, 5 YRS + PQE, CONTENT COMMISSIONING

SENIOR COUNSEL 5 YRS + PQE

CONTENT COMMISSIONING & ACQUISITION

LEADING TV COMPANY / VOD

LONDON / FLEXIBLE



Our client is a creator and champion of the best in TV (scripted and non-scripted) and hosts one of the world's largest portfolios. Already very active in multiple territories worldwide, they are planning a further roll out to additional countries this year.

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced lawyer to join the Legal & Business Affairs team, reporting to the Director of Legal & Business Affairs and working closely with the Chief Creative Officer.

The team provides legal and business affairs support for all aspects of the business, with a particular focus on content commissioning, co-productions, multi-territory acquisitions and related arrangements for content to be made available outside of the UK.

We are looking for a UK qualified lawyer with at least 5 years PQE, who has experience of drafting and negotiating commissioning, co-production, acquisition, development, pre-sale and distribution agreements for TV programmes, with a familiarity of industry standards and common issues.

You will need to have an understanding of the structures and systems (including regulatory systems) within which broadcasters, producers and distributors operate, together with typical underlying rights arrangements for British TV programmes.

Key Responsibilities

* Providing strategic support for content strategy as a vital, trusted advisor to the Chief Creative Officer and regional editorial leads
* Leading legal and business affairs support for the commissioning and acquisition of content outside the UK
* Drafting and negotiating contracts for commissions, co-productions, acquisitions, pre-sales, script development, distribution arrangements, output agreements and other related content arrangements
* Drafting and negotiating other general commercial arrangements relevant to the TV/VOD industry and advising on related regulatory matters
* Contributing to Regulatory Affairs initiatives, such as consultations
* Developing more junior members of the Legal & Business Affairs teams



The successful candidate will have a track record of providing proactive, specialist, timely and authoritative legal advice and support to senior leaders and key decision-makers.

Ideally, you will have in-house experience at a media business. Specific experience of commissioning and acquiring content on a multi-territory basis and relationships with producers of British TV programmes will be an advantage.

The successful candidate will be a self-starter, happy to pick up tasks and projects that may not fall directly in their remit and be prepared to get involved in everything from strategy development to commercial negotiation, detailed execution and delivery.

You will be passionate about TV, an independent contributor and collaborative team player. We are looking for someone with the ability to work in a fast-paced media environment who is commercially-minded with strong negotiation skills.