Interim Vice President, Legal, International Content Distribution (Maternity Cover)

The position is a broad commercial/IP role providing legal and business affairs advice and related support to Warner Bros. Discovery’s International Content Distribution and Commercial Strategy executives, as well as related functions such as Finance, Marketing and Contract Administration.   

The International Content Distribution legal team is responsible for all aspects of licensing Warner Bros. Discovery’s content portfolio (including HBO, Max, WB, Turner and Discovery programs) to physical and digital transactional services (home entertainment), broadcasters, streaming services and platforms in all territories outside of the United States of America and Canada. The content licensed includes movies, scripted and unscripted US series, local language scripted and unscripted series, as well as animation.   

Content is licensed both within the Warner Bros. Discovery group (to Max, Discovery+ and the company’s linear services) and to services operated by third parties. Third party licensees can be either local (such as Sky or Foxtel) or multi-territory/global (Netflix, Amazon, Disney+ etc.).  As both the company’s DTC strategy and the industry have evolved over the last 5 years, the work of the Content Distribution legal team has become ever more complicated as deals incorporate claw back, co-exclusivity and rebate provisions connected with the planned launch of Max and to take into account newer business models such as FAST. The team is also responsible for the licensing and monetisation of the company’s portfolio of formats across all international territories. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Drafting and negotiating complex TV distribution license agreements with platforms, broadcasters, streamers and other media companies throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa for WBD content and services, including output agreements, volume and package agreements, term sheets, amendments. Requires a close understanding of distribution windows, business models, the different program libraries that the company has (Max, HBO, WB first run features, WB library features, WB first run and library series, network series vs cable/made for SVOD series, animation, Turner scripted, Discovery programs) and the different rights and exploitation models for each of them  

• Providing full support to the company’s transactional home entertainment business in the region, including drafting and negotiating TVOD, EST, PVOD and PEST license agreements, sales agreements for physical discs and sub-distribution agreements 

• Adapting templates and creating bespoke standard terms and agreements for use in negotiations with multi-territory clients operating FAST channels, navigating territory-specific issues such as music collecting societies, data protection and regulatory frameworks and shaping commercial terms (whether on an inventory share or revenue share basis), while working across teams to implement and update WBD guidelines and policies 

• Providing expert strategic and legal advice to sales executives, with particular in-depth knowledge in respect of UK, Nordics, Africa, MENA, Turkey, Greece and Baltics. Advising the sales and management executives of the effects of local law, contractual commitments and regulatory issues. Monitoring copyright reform and public policy issues throughout the region. Facilitating new WBD service launches, advising on dispute management strategies for payment issues, streamlining processes and improving terms wherever possible 

• Supervising and supporting Senior Counsel, Paralegal and Intern, delegating judiciously, managing workload and where appropriate encouraging ownership of sales and client relationships in respect of a subset of territories and agreement types while retaining primary responsibility for and overview of all drafting and key issues 

• Setting up and managing intercompany licensing of a wide array of program types within the framework of established master standard terms, coordinating with counterparts in APAC and LATAM to ensure a unified and consistent approach, identifying and resolving outliers to the process, participating in cross-team efforts and projects to streamline and standardise 

• Drafting ancillary legal agreements such as nondisclosure agreements, non-compete undertakings, settlement agreements, cease and desist letters and other related agreements 

• Each of the above requires a mastery of the content protection requirements in our agreements, revenue recognition rules, billing and collection policies, delivery and localisation obligations, music rights, participation and residuals issues, compliance risk plus the interplay of anti-trust and copyright law 

• Interpreting the company’s obligations and rights under existing contracts, preparing overview and summary documents and advising sales, commercial strategy and management executives, particularly around claw back and co-exclusivity provisions related to the planned launch of Max and release strategy for different program types 

• Understanding and staying current with Max’s launch plans and its content strategy. Structuring program license agreements accordingly to ensure the successful launch of Max in new markets in the region 

• Instructing and supervising external counsel 

• Dealing with copyright infringement issues 

• General commercial legal work, legal research and support on major projects as required 

• Performing other related duties as assigned as part of a supportive and experienced legal team, closely integrated into the business 

Your Experience 

• Excellent academic credentials required 

• Qualified solicitor/barrister in England & Wales 

• Ability to speak a European language (particularly German or Spanish) strongly preferred 

• Competent in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, document comparison tools and document management systems 

• Likely to have extensive post qualification experience as a solicitor/barrister with a major law firm and/or in-house media company 

• Television distribution/acquisition (or channel carriage) experience essential 

• International experience preferred 

• Experience in copyright law essential 

• High level of skill in detailed drafting essential 

• Experience leading complex negotiations essential 

• Understanding new media business models and new technologies preferred 

• Must be well organised, efficient and have ability to prioritise 

• Have the ability to handle multiple tasks and meet conflicting deadlines in short timeframe 

• Have excellent attention to detail and ability to work well under pressure 

• Must have excellent drafting skills 

• Must have excellent communication skills and be able to explain complex issues to senior business executives simply, clearly and tactfully 

• Must be able to manage own workload without constant supervision 

• Must have the ability to delegate and supervise effectively 

• Must be able to show commercial acumen to apply law to reach commercial objective of the business 

• Proven ability to negotiate around complex problems essential