Legal & Business Affairs Counsel

Flying Bark Productions is a dynamic and innovative animation studio dedicated to pushing the boundaries of character animation and storytelling. We are working on exciting projects such as Avatar: The Last Airbender feature film, Netflix's Ghostbusters animated series and Stranger Things animated series, as well as our production Tales From Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan.

Due to the company’s recent expansion and growth, including into live action film and series development and production, we're looking for a mid-level lawyer to join our team. This is a fantastic opportunity for a Legal & Business Affairs Counsel with a passion for the film and television industry. Reporting to the Director of Legal & Commercial, you'll be a key legal and business support for our management and production teams. The ideal candidate is a proactive partner for the business, a skilled problem-solver with a keen eye for detail who can thrive in a fast-paced, creative environment.

About the role:

As part of a small team, involved in all aspects of the legal and business affairs function at Flying Bark, including:

• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a wide range of agreements, including content and rights acquisition, distribution, development and co-production deals, financing, production services, key creative and talent deals.
• Supporting the production team with development and funding applications, including the PDV, Producer Offset, Location Offset and Official Co-production guidelines.
• Providing legal advice on matters relevant to the film and television industry, including industrial agreements, copyright, and clearances.
• Keeping abreast of the latest legal and industry trends and ensuring the business is legally compliant with relevant changes, including AI and machine learning, employment and HR law, privacy and data security.
• Working with other business units to drive formulation, drafting and implementation of policies to address compliance or regulatory needs, as required.
• Active engagement with industry bodies on advocacy and policy matters affecting the business and industry, including by drafting submissions, and engaging with industry peak bodies such as SPA and AusFilm on such matters.
• Active engagement with key stakeholders including parent company Studio 100 and group partners, local broadcasters, commissioners and funding bodies, and global clients.
• Supporting the company secretarial workflow and managing intercompany arrangements in collaboration with the Corporate team.
• Providing legal support to all Flying Bark studios in Sydney, LA and Madrid, including by instructing external counsel.
• Delegating relevant work as appropriate and being responsible for supervision and review, and providing coaching, mentoring for the more junior members of the team.

About you:

We're looking for a candidate who:

• Is a commercially minded lawyer admitted to practice in Australia with 5-8 years PQE. Preference would be for someone with a mix of law firm and in-house experience.
• Intellectually curious and with a strong interest in media, film and entertainment. Technical savviness and proficiency are a plus.
• Takes a pragmatic approach to balancing commercial outcomes and legal risks and able to make legally sound decisions when faced with ambiguity.
• Has exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Has strong communication, interpersonal skills and ability to work cross-culturally.
• Maintains confidence under pressure and builds strong working relationships with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Has a can-do attitude and a sense of humour!

What do we do?

Flying Bark Productions is a renowned independent producer of family-focused animation entertainment. For over 50 years, our 2D and 3D production facility has created award-winning feature films and TV series.

Why work with us?

• We work on some pretty cool projects - check out our website: https://www.flyingbark.com.au/
• We have an industry leading studio space in Alexandria, complete with a cinema, quiet room, Zen Garden, games room, and state of the art animation facilities.
• Breakfast is served daily - on us!
• We have cake days, movie nights, wrap parties & a culture club dedicated to coordinating our busy social calendar!
• The Barkers have big hearts too, with our Paws for a Cause fundraising arm raising much needed funds for charities such as Beyond Blue, RSPCA and the Cancer Council.
• We love dogs and you will often see some of our regular fluffy companions in the studio.
• We have a hybrid approach to work with flexible work from home days on offer.
• Career development is important to us so we offer training and support opportunities whenever possible.
• Our employees say our culture is the best they've ever experienced - everyone is welcome and celebrated!
• You'll have access to mental health resources and free counselling via our Employee Assistance Provider, Support Act.

Flying Bark Productions is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.