Corporate Counsel
Department: Legal
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Los Angeles
Compensation: $80,000 – $100,000 / year
Description
WHO ARE WE?
MPLC is the market leader in non-theatrical licensing. We are on a mission to enable companies to use world-class film and television entertainment while supporting the creative industries and protecting their intellectual property.
At its simplest, companies around the world use TV and films to help their business. Whether it is gyms trying to create a great environment for their customers or employers making their staff/break rooms a better place to be, hundreds of thousands of companies are showing content in public spaces.
Great content can only be made if creators are paid fairly for what they produce. So we provide a simple, affordable license to businesses. We then pay royalties from our license to our rights holders; from major Hollywood studios to local TV production companies.
Without MPLC, these performances would still occur. But they would infringe copyrights and deprive our rightsholders’ of the money they are entitled to. Our license enables customers to run their businesses compliantly and with peace of mind.
We work hard to educate organisations about the importance of respecting copyright, and MPLC is a key player in the entertainment and intellectual property ecosystem.
What’s the situation?
The Corporate Counsel, working under the Head of Business & Legal Affairs and Studio Relations, provides business affairs and legal support to MPLC globally, with special focus on the US Licensing Division and US Studio Relations. Among other things, the position advises and represents the US sales team in negotiations with prospective and existing customers, associations and channel partners; advises and represents the US Studio Relations team in negotiations with prospective and existing rights holders; drafts, negotiates, and manages licensing and rights holder agreements; represents the company to important outside bodies like the Motion Picture Association and in other public forums; conducts legal research; and manages the company’s trademarks.
This is a position for a problem-solver with a bias to action.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
- Working with the US sales team, communicate with prospective and existing customers and outside counsel on licensing agreements and related matters;
- Maintain and update form licensing agreements, and draft and negotiate changes requested by prospective and existing customers;
- Draft and negotiate trade association/strategic partnership agreements on behalf of the US sales team;
- Build and maintain strong working relationships with the US sales team and the wider global company;
- Review marketing materials and policies to provide legal guidance and edits;
- Working with the US Studio Relations team, communicate with prospective and existing rights holders and outside counsel on rights holder agreements and related matters;
- Maintain and update form rights holder agreements, and draft and negotiate changes requested by prospective and existing rights holders;
- Build and maintain strong working relationships with the Motion Picture Association and its member companies on copyright issues;
- Promote company copyright goals through attending, speaking at, and organizing copyright forums;
- Register, file and maintain company trademarks;
- Maintain rights holder and other contract and legal databases;
- Analyze IT, insurance, and other vendor contracts and advise management with respect to them;
- Prepare other business contracts and administer other legal matters;
- Research global intellectual property and other legal issues;
- Find, read, and interpret laws, rulings, and regulations applicable to the company;
- Other duties as requested
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
Juris Doctor degree, deep knowledge of US copyright law (with knowledge of international copyright law a plus), and four to ten years related experience in a law firm and/or in-house, advising and representing copyright-related clients or colleagues (preferably sales-related); or equivalent combination of related experience such as copyright litigation experience or advising/representing other IP-related clients/colleagues. Experience advising/representing major studios or other audiovisual clients/colleagues strongly preferred. Experience with general business agreements, trademarks, HR issues, and corporate governance are each a plus.
Benefits and disadvantages
Let’s try to put you off!
We think MPLC is a great place to be already and it’s only going to get more exciting. But we’re honest that it might not be for everyone. Here are some things you have a think about:
- This role is very varied, you will be in the clouds as much as the weeds
- Your internal relationships will be as important as your external relationships, if you aren’t a people person, this might be a challenge
- We are modernizing at pace and have some gaps in our information, if you are frustrated by older filing systems, this might prove difficult
LOCATION AND SALARY
- Like most people, we’ve got pretty good at working remotely recently. But we’d like you to be visible in our offices. Building relationships in our LA office will be essential.
- We offer private medical and life insurance
- Discounts and fun stuff and are constantly reviewing our benefits