Associate Principal Counsel - Consumer Products Licensing

At Disney, we’re storytellers. We make the impossible, possible. We do this through utilizing and developing cutting-edge technology and pushing the envelope to bring stories to life through our movies, products, interactive games, parks and resorts, and media networks. Now is your chance to join our talented team that delivers unparalleled creative content to audiences around the world.

This position primarily supports licensing and rights clearances for the Consumer Products Games and Publishing business unit within the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products segment of The Walt Disney Company. This attorney will be responsible for the intake, management, and resolution of the business units’ legal needs. As such, the successful candidate must be comfortable with handling diverse legal, clearance, production, regulatory, and compliance issues, and have the judgment to know when to elevate issues to senior attorneys in the department and legal subject matter experts. The successful candidate must be adept at briefing non-legal colleagues on complex legal issues. This role will also involve supervising the work of paralegals involved in licensing and clearances.

We are looking for a candidate who reflects the innovative spirit and creative talent that defines the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products segment—the segment that brings the magic of The Walt Disney Company’s powerful brands and franchises—including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, ESPN, Twentieth Century Studios and National Geographic—into the daily lives of families and fans around the world to create magical memories that last a lifetime.

Responsibilities:

Organized, detail-oriented, and strategically-minded are key words for this position. On any given day, you might:

• Draft and negotiate a wide variety of agreements relating to consumer products and related marketing activities, including license agreements, promotional agreements, retail marketing agreements, content production agreements, services agreements, vendor agreements, NDAs, and related documentation.

• Work closely with and advise CPGP executives on a range of business matters and legal issues with respect to consumer products matters, including assessing options and risks associated with each option.

• Advise attorneys and non-attorneys on legal and regulatory issues (e.g., competition law, consumer protection, privacy, product safety) and related company policies.

• Review promotional programs and marketing materials to ensure compliance with advertising law and policy, including compliance with FTC Guidelines, CARU Guidelines, privacy laws, contest and sweepstakes laws, and internal company guidelines.

• Provide Lucasfilm Franchise legal support for consumer products licensing and other CPGP lines of business

• Draft and negotiate agreements to engage talent, creators, and other third-parties for personal and creative services, production, promotions, and to acquire ancillary rights in connection with consumer products and marketing initiatives.

• Research, analyze, and summarize production agreements, acquisition agreements, talent agreements, chain of title, and other rights-related agreements.

• Provide clearance advice relating to content and creative materials used in the development and marketing of merchandise, publications, and video games.

• Manage and supervise the work of paralegals.

• Collaborate with business-unit stakeholders and internal subject-matter experts within the legal department.

Basic Qualifications:

• At least seven (7) years of commercial legal experience in a law firm advising major corporate clients and/or an in-house corporate legal department.

• Significant experience drafting and negotiating a wide variety of agreements and related documentation.

• Excellent drafting, negotiation, and communication skills as well as attention to detail.

• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to work well in a team environment and build interdepartmental relationships at all levels.

• Demonstrated ability to think strategically, identify and analyze complex issues, assess potential risk and impact and devise creative solutions and strategies.

• Must have a commercial and solution- oriented mind-set, excellent work ethic and willing to take ownership of projects and think proactively.

• Ability to evaluate and reconcile issues from the business-unit and enterprise-level perspective.

• Exceptional organizational, prioritization, and time management skills with the ability to work under deadlines and execute efficiently against multiple, high-priority and high-volume projects with minimal supervision.

• Demonstrated ability to work in an environment with a high degree of confidentiality.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong intellectual property licensing experience and expertise. 

• Consumer products and/or entertainment industry experience.

• Understanding of talent, production, and rights-related legal and contractual issues

• Experience supervising attorneys or paralegals.
   

Required Education:

• JD or equivalent from an accredited law school

• Membership in the California State Bar in good standing or willingness and qualification to be Registered In-House Counsel

Additional Information:

The hiring range for this position in California is $185,555.00 - $240,130.00 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.

About The Walt Disney Company (Corporate):

At Disney Corporate you can see how the businesses behind the Company’s powerful brands come together to create the most innovative, far-reaching and admired entertainment company in the world. As a member of a corporate team, you’ll work with world-class leaders driving the strategies that keep The Walt Disney Company at the leading edge of entertainment. See and be seen by other innovative thinkers as you enable the greatest storytellers in the world to create memories for millions of families around the globe.

About The Walt Disney Company:

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with the following business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, Disney Parks, and Experiences and Products. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family. Disney’s stories, characters and experiences reach consumers and guests from every corner of the globe. With operations in more than 40 countries, our employees and cast members work together to create entertainment experiences that are both universally and locally cherished.

This position is with TWDC Enterprises 18 Corp., which is part of a business we call The Walt Disney Company (Corporate).

TWDC Enterprises 18 Corp. is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. Disney fosters a business culture where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a rapidly changing world.