Junior Counsel London, England
Job description
Every great story has a new beginning, and yours starts here.
Welcome to Warner Bros. Discovery… the stuff dreams are made of.
Who We Are…
When we say, “the stuff dreams are made of,” we’re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD’s vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what’s next…
From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive.
Your New Role...
The Counsel role is responsible for delivering high-quality legal and business affairs advice to Warner Bros. Television Production UK production teams and management which is technically excellent, trusted and in accordance with the commercial imperatives of the business. As part of a small team of lawyers, reporting to the Head of Legal & Business Affairs, WBTVPUK and supporting Senior Counsel workloads, you will be working on legal matters arising throughout programme production (from development through to broadcast and beyond) across the spectrum of non-scripted programming (including living history, entertainment, specialist factual and factual entertainment) and across scripted programming. You will also advise on general legal issues as and when required. You may also be required to provide support to other areas of WBD (where additional support is required).
Your Role Accountabilities...
- Supporting Senior Counsel across the WBTVPUK businesses in drafting agreements for the development of programming
- Supporting Senior Counsel across the WBTVPUK businesses in drafting and advising on agreements for the production of programming, including commissioning, production and co-production agreements, contributor agreements, presenter agreements, access agreements, location, studio and production services agreements
- Advising productions on rights issues, clearance issues, including advising on compliance with the OFCOM Broadcasting Code and broadcaster policies
- Assisting with the conduct of production ‘set-up’ meetings to advise teams on legal and compliance issues that may be relevant during production
- Working with Senior Counsel to manage disputes, claims and complaints from contributors, broadcasters, viewers or other parties
- Supporting Senior Counsel, working on distribution agreements for the exploitation of ancillary rights
- Advising production teams on UK and international broadcasters and SVOD terms and availability of rights
Qualifications & Experience...
- Versatile, hardworking and technically excellent lawyer, newly qualified to 4 years’ post-qualification experience at a leading law firm, broadcaster or production company
- Experience of either scripted or non-scripted television work, preferably both
- A solid understanding of copyright law and of the ownership of rights in content and underlying material
- Commercial negotiation and drafting experience
- Excellent attention to detail
How We Get Things Done…
This last bit is probably the most important! Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at www.wbd.com/guiding-principles/ along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview.
The Legal Bits…
Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects the diversity of our society and the world around us. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, disability or any other category protected by law. If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability and you need a reasonable accommodation in order to apply for this position, please contact us at [email protected].
