Senior Counsel - Entertainment

What You'll Do

We are looking for someone to join our team based in our New York City office. As Senior Counsel, you'll focus on entertainment, sports and consumer products licensing for our portfolio of entertainment brands including high profile talent. You'll thrive in our fast-paced environment and articulate positions related to intellectual property licensing in a way that balances business needs with risk mitigation, with an eye on achieving business results. As a member of the legal team, you will draft and negotiate Authentic's key entertainment deals in tandem with Authentic's business development and brand management teams. You'll report directly to the Senior Vice President, Legal - Entertainment, who is based in New York. This role regularly partners with colleagues across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America, Intellectual Property Department and other internal business units (e.g., Marketing/Communications, Finance, Operations, etc.). This position is primarily based in our New York City or Los Angeles office and follows a four-day in-office, one-day remote hybrid schedule.

What You'll Be Working On

• Drafting, reviewing and negotiating agreements relating to intellectual property and consumer products licensing (with an emphasis on trademarks and copyrights), endorsements, character appearances, sponsorships, and location-based events. Work also includes permission and clearance agreements, term sheets, agreements/rules for sweepstakes / contests, legal letters and settlement agreements.
• Develop contract templates, playbooks, and internal guidance to improve efficiency and consistency.
• Identify legal and commercial risks while developing practical, business-oriented solutions.
• Partner with cross-functional teams on new business initiatives, strategic partnerships, and product launches.
• Serve as a trusted legal advisor to senior business stakeholders throughout the lifecycle of licensing and commercial initiatives.
• Providing advice and counsel regarding trademarks, copyrights and other intellectual property.
• Coordinating directly and efficiently with colleagues from Authentic's business development, brand management, and marketing teams.
• Enabling the business to timely achieve its targets, while respecting the Company's principles and applicable laws, and assisting in embedding these principles into the Company's processes and decisions.
• Implementing and overseeing corporate policies, procedures, and programs.
• Partner with internal and external counsel with ongoing general matters for the Legal Department, as required in the day-to-day functioning of the Company and the Legal Department.
• Supporting brand protection and anti-counterfeiting efforts, including coordinating cease-and-desist activity, and working with the Intellectual Property Department on monitoring and enforcement programs.
• Advising on children's advertising and privacy compliance, including COPPA, FTC guidelines, and CARU advertising standards, as applicable to our kids-focused brands and its licensees.
• Assisting with royalty audits, including reviewing audit rights provisions, coordinating with Finance on licensee audits, and interpreting royalty reports and statements.
• Managing the lifecycle of existing licensing agreements, including renewals, terminations, defaults, and cure notices.

Must Haves

• J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school, and a valid license to practice law in New York State.
• 8+ years of relevant legal experience, including meaningful experience supporting intellectual property licensing, consumer products, entertainment, or related commercial transactions in-house and/or at a nationally recognized law firm. Proven ability to effectively execute on assigned priorities and initiatives instructions concerning both specific assignments and general policies.
• Demonstrated track record of ownership and accountability for projects, duties, and tasks.
• Demonstrated ability to manage up, including proactively seeking clarification and alignment on projects and duties, and proactively communicating priorities, risks, and progress with stakeholders and leadership.
• Experience leveraging legal technology, including AI-assisted legal research and drafting tools (e.g., Harvey, Claude, or similar platforms), and contract lifecycle management (CLM) platforms and approval workflow tools. Proficiency with: MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)
• English fluency is a must; proficiency and/or fluency in additional languages is a plus.
• A passion for the intersection of entertainment, business, and the law.
• Prior experience with character licensing, entertainment IP, or children's brand licensing strongly preferred.
• Strong commercial judgment with the ability to balance legal risk against business objectives.

Nice to Haves

• Experience with children's brands, family entertainment IP, or consumer products targeting minors.
• Proficiency in one or more additional languages beyond English.

Primary Location Salary Range: $165,000 - $180,000