About the Company LAIKA is a feature film animation studio devoted to telling new and original stories.
Founded in Oregon in 2005 by President & CEO Travis Knight, LAIKA creates films that are born in imagination, shaped into stories, and crafted by passionate artists who give life to unforgettable characters.
Job Overview The Associate General Counsel is responsible for supporting LAIKA’s legal and business affairs matters across the company including development, acquisitions, production, domestic and international distribution, marketing initiatives, online (social media, website), brand extensions (consumer products, television, exhibitions, etc.), personnel issues, and other corporate business and legal matters.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide legal counsel to internal stakeholders including executives, management, and various departments, on a wide range of legal issues impacting the company’s operations and strategic objectives.
- Draft, review, and negotiate a variety of contracts, agreements, and legal documents, including but not limited to software licenses, vendor contracts, service agreements, licensing agreements, guild agreements, and partnership agreements.
- Oversee trademark portfolio, including registration, clearance, enforcement, and licensing activities. Monitor and address trademark infringement issues.
- Draft merchandising contracts, licensing agreements, and distribution agreements to ensure compliance.
- Manage non-disclosure agreements to protect confidential information.
- Respond to general inquiries from the public regarding legal matters, including complaints, regulatory inquiries, and requests for information.
- Analyze archived records, documents, and data to assess compliance with contractual obligations.
- Oversee legal privacy issues related to giveaways, website, marketing, events, and other public interactions.
- Participate in Legal department initiatives and provide professional interpretations and recommendations to management on legal issues.
- Compile information and prepare summaries to assist with decision-making.
- Liaise with outside counsel and other vendors.
- Other administrative and legal work, as needed.
About You
- You have a Bachelor’s degree and Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school.
- You must be a member of a state bar in good standing.
- You have 2-4 years’ experience practicing at a large law firm in corporate, commercial transactions, or related fields, with exceptional analytical, negotiating, and document drafting skills and the ability to understand and contribute to business models.
- You have work experience applied to feature film/television clients preferred (Animation a further plus).
- You have work experience pertaining to the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), Writers Guild (WGA), Directors Guild (DGA), or similar entertainment-related guilds as a plus.
- You have previous experience working with high-level executives, both among internal and external stakeholders.
- You possess excellent verbal, written communication, and interpersonal skills.
- You are highly organized, self-motivated, and able to work independently, managing numerous simultaneous contracts/projects and shifting priorities with tight deadlines.
- You have strong attention to detail and a professional work ethic.
- You have strong legal writing skills (a writing sample will be part of the application process).
Interested? Please contact Nadeen Shatara for a confidential conversation.
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