Senior Counsel, International

VERSANT (Nasdaq: VSNT) is an industry-changing media and entertainment business and home to trusted brands that shape culture, inform audiences, and build lasting connections. It operates across four core markets: political news and opinion, business news and personal finance, golf, and sports and genre entertainment. These markets are served through a powerful portfolio of iconic and innovative brands, including CNBC, MS NOW, USA Network, Golf Channel, Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and Versant's sports division USA Sports, along with complementary digital assets including Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and GolfPass.

CNBC INTERNATIONAL

CNBC is the world’s No. 1 business and financial news network. Its mission is to help the influential and aspirational make astute decisions to get ahead by providing live market updates, breaking news, in-depth analysis and exclusive interviews.

CNBC’s portfolio includes multiple live television feeds enabling global distribution of business and financial news and entertainment programming, CNBC.com, the online destination for global business with a premium D2C subscription service; and a growing slate of live and virtual events where consumers can experience CNBC’s award-winning journalism, live.

With headquarters in New Jersey, London, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi, CNBC provides a truly global 24-hour business briefing for senior business leaders, the financial community and those with assets to invest or protect. Today the channel is available in more than 392 million homes worldwide. CNBC also boasts a growing audience across its social media and digital video platforms.

Visitwww.cnbc.com for more information.

Versant International is seeking an experienced mid-level commercial transaction lawyer to provide legal support for content licensing for CNBC and MS NOW and draft production and sponsorship arrangements for global News events. The lawyer will be the point person for Ofcom and other Europe regulator queries and work with the Versant Media Law team with day to day support of journalists around the world.  

This is a fixed-term contract role for up to 12 months.

Key requirements include:

• Excellent drafting and commercial negotiation skills
• Experience with content licensing, production and sponsorship agreements
• Familiarity with broadcast regulation and compliance
• Private-practice experience within a TMT team is preferred
• Experience advising on the Ofcom Broadcasting Code would be highly desirable

The role includes line-management responsibility for one direct report and involves close collaboration with a team of three lawyers in London and two in Singapore.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Events and Marketing: The candidate would work closely with the News Events teams in London and New York to draft and negotiate venue, vendor and sponsorship agreements for MS NOW and CNBC events and marketing activities globally.  The candidate will also support the CNBC and MS NOW Marketing teams advising on marketing messages, Consumer Protection Regs including for the International rollout of CNBC direct to consumer products, and overseeing the branded partnership agreements.

Licensing: The role includes work on both inbound content and programming licenses with agencies, rights holders and individuals, and outbound deals with third parties who wish to obtain a license to display Versant News content. The role oversees the programme acquisitions for CNBC International and the work of the Compliance Officer viewing the shows.

Media Law and Regulatory Advice; Working with the News Legal team in New York, provide ad hoc media law support, fair dealing advice, and be the point person for Ofcom queries IMDA (Singapore) and other European broadcasting regulatory queries.

Business transformation: The candidate will help the team as we transition to more AI solutions for drafting and pivot to new platforms for contract life management.

General: Practical legal advice to the business across multiple disciplines, supported by the US team leads in Data privacy, IP, Compliance, Standards, Risk/Insurance and Litigation.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE AND REQUIREMENTS                     

• At least 5 years of legal experience in commercial transactions
• Ideally private practice or strong in-house team within TMT or Events sector
• Significant experience in negotiating and drafting contracts and a variety of terms and conditions
• Capable of providing practical legal advice to members of business team at all levels and working with legal teams across functions (data privacy, employment, IP, compliance, etc.)
• Strong AI skills
• Strong work ethic
• Good natured, team player
• Strong academic record from top tier law school
• Strong written and oral presentation skills
• Ability to multi-task successfully, and to work both independently and collegially as part of a team in a fast-paced environment 
• Qualified lawyer in good standing
• Experience with data privacy, media regulation and ad tech is also required
• Must be willing to work in London, United Kingdom
• Must have unrestricted work authorization to work in the United Kingdom

The responsibilities associated with this position are not limited to the above description and may be modified at any time by the Company.

As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with a VERSANT Media employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. VERSANT Media's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request tocandidateaccessibility@versantmedia.com.

VERSANT Media is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at VERSANT via-email, the Internet, or in any form and/or method without a valid written Statement of Work in place for this position from VERSANT's Talent Acquisition team will be deemed the sole property of VERSANT. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by VERSANT as a result of the referral or through other means.