Commercial Council, Business Affairs

Overview

The organization is seeking an experienced, commercially minded licensed attorney or business affairs professional to lead day-to-day Business Affairs and contracting functions. The scope of responsibilities will align with the selected candidate’s qualifications and professional licensure.

This role independently manages a high volume of commercial agreements while providing legal guidance on contract negotiations, risk management, and related legal matters across experiential marketing, creative, production, and strategic partnership activities.

Responsibilities

Commercial Contracting & Negotiation

• Independently draft, review, redline, negotiate, and finalize vendor MSAs, client MSAs, SOWs, NDAs, independent contractor agreements, talent agreements, venue agreements, sponsorship agreements, and other commercial contracts.
• Provide substantive legal guidance on indemnification, liability, insurance, intellectual property, confidentiality, termination, and contractual risk allocation.
• Negotiate nonstandard provisions and complex contractual arrangements.
• Support client-side contracting, including MSAs, SOWs, RFP terms, and related negotiations.
• Advise internal stakeholders on practical approaches to managing contractual risk while achieving business objectives.

Legal Oversight & Risk Management

• Identify and evaluate contractual legal risks and recommend appropriate solutions.
• Develop, review, and maintain legal templates, fallback provisions, negotiation playbooks, and standard contractual positions.
• Provide legal guidance on commercial, production, talent, licensing, and intellectual property matters within the attorney’s expertise.
• Coordinate specialized outside counsel when matters require additional subject-matter or jurisdictional expertise.
• Escalate significant business risk, unusual financial exposure, or strategically sensitive decisions to leadership.

Business Affairs Operations

• Own contract intake, prioritization, review, negotiation, tracking, and execution.
• Serve as the primary Business Affairs contact for internal teams.
• Provide clear, concise, actionable legal guidance and proactive status updates.
• Manage competing deadlines and high-volume contracting needs independently.
• Collaborate with Operations and Finance to improve contracting and onboarding processes.
• Support implementation of AI-assisted contract review, automation, and scalable legal workflows.
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes and reduce reliance on outside counsel.

Qualifications

• Licensed attorney: Juris Doctor from an accredited law school; active bar membership in good standing; appropriate authorization to practice in the relevant jurisdiction; and 4–8+ years of relevant commercial legal or transactional experience.
• Business Affairs professional (JD not required): 6–10+ years of direct experience managing and negotiating commercial agreements in a Business Affairs or commercial contracting role; demonstrated judgment in identifying matters requiring legal review and partnering with counsel.

Additional qualifications for the role include:

• Significant experience drafting and negotiating commercial agreements.
• Strong knowledge of commercial contract law, contractual risk allocation, intellectual property, and related legal considerations.
• Excellent commercial judgment and ability to provide practical, business-oriented legal advice.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong project management capabilities and experience managing a substantial volume of concurrent matters.
• Ability to operate independently, prioritize efficiently, and take ownership of matters from initiation through execution.

Preferred Qualifications

• In-house legal experience at an advertising, experiential marketing, entertainment, media, or production company.
• Experience with talent, influencer, sponsorship, licensing, and production agreements.
• Familiarity with advertising, data privacy, and related regulatory requirements.
• Experience coordinating outside counsel.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted legal review tools and contract lifecycle management systems.

Compensation & Benefits

• Exempt full-time role
• Intended salary range:
  • Licensed attorney: $160,000.00 - $190,000.00 per year
  • Business Affairs professional (JD not required): $120,000.00 - $150,000.00 per year
• The organization intends to provide a competitive total compensation package that includes incentives, benefits, growth, and developmental opportunities. Factors affecting the presented salary range may include location, departmental budgets, certifications, and overall job-related qualifications.
• Benefits and perks may include:
  • Health & Wellness Benefits
  • 401k Match
  • Communication Stipend
  • Paid Company holidays & PTO Package
  • Company get togethers & retreats
  • Paid Parental Leave
  • Flexible WFH policy

Location

Hybrid company with hub locations in Los Angeles and New York City. Ideal candidate location: Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, or Chicago. Remote candidates will be considered.

Employment Eligibility Verification

Employment eligibility verification is required for this role. In certain states, the organization participates in the E-Verify program in accordance with local regulations.

Applicable states: Utah, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida.

Note on Job Description Changes

The organization reserves the right to change or modify the job description whether orally or in writing, at any time during the employment relationship, and may require performance of duties outside the normal job description.