Associate Commercial Counsel

Summary

Join DEPT® as an Associate Commercial Counsel and play a key role in building successful relationships and business growth through contract optimization. You will assist with customer and vendor contractual matters, providing legal advice on business agreements. This role demands strong collaboration, communication, and organizational skills, along with legal acumen and creative thinking. Experience with digital services and technology development is preferred, but a strong business-minded approach to law is essential. You will draft, review, and negotiate contracts, manage contract compliance, and refine contract templates. Furthermore, you will collaborate on dispute handling, advise management, identify process gaps, and cultivate strong working relationships with business teams. Staying updated on industry standards and sharing expertise are also key responsibilities.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor and bar membership in good standing in at least one U.S. state
• 2+ years of previous transactional contract experience, including redlining, negotiation, and contract management
• Strong organizational, traffic management, and operational skills
• Ability to move quickly yet efficiently to protect risk while maximizing turn-around time
• Knowledge of applicable statutes, rules, and regulations pertaining to DEPT®’s business and its states/countries of operation
• A high level of complex problem-solving, critical thinking, and information analysis skills are essential for this role
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• The ability to encourage and build mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among all DEPT® team members that we interact with
• Strong focus on treating everyone at DEPT® as a client, and treating DEPT®’s clients with respect and a win-win problem solving demeanor
• Ability to predict and prevent legal issues and risks
• Effectively represent the organization as appropriate in its relationship with legal and business communities
• Comfort with AI-based contract review tools (and willingness to continuously learn as these tools evolve)
• High professional and personal standards with unquestioned integrity

Responsibilities

• Drafting, Reviewing, and Negotiating Contracts Draft, review, and redline agreements—including MSAs, SOWs, NDAs, DPAs, vendor, consulting, production, and talent agreements
• Negotiate agreements with counterparties (both clients and vendors) and effectively representing the company
• Contract Management and Compliance Oversee contract compliance with established company processes and policies
• Continuously support the refinement and improvement of DEPT®’s contract templates to reflect current business and legal considerations
• Monitor changes in applicable laws, regulations, and best practices relevant to DEPT®’s operations
• Risk Management and Dispute Handling Collaborate with the DEPT® Legal team to address commercial disputes and issues, providing risk assessments and recommending solutions
• Advise company management at all levels on legal matters, ensuring timely and actionable guidance
• Process Improvement and Relationship Building Identify process gaps and propose creative solutions in collaboration with relevant stakeholders
• Cultivate strong working relationships with business teams to better tailor our contracts
• Coordinate with external experts (e.g., subject matter counsel) where required
• Professional Development and Knowledge Sharing Stay up to date on industry standards, emerging legal trends, and technologies (including AI-driven tools)
• Share insights and expertise with Legal team members, fostering a culture of continuous learning

Preferred Qualifications

• In house experience and litigation experience is a plus
• Experience with creative production contracts (music licensing, talent agreements, video production agreements) a plus

Benefits

• Healthcare, Dental, and Vision coverage
• 401k plan, plus matching
• PTO
• Paid Company Holidays
• Parental Leave