Commercial Counsel

Nex • San Jose, CA

4d • $190,000 - $215,000 • Remote

About The Position

Nex is seeking an experienced commercial attorney to lead legal support for its content and partnerships ecosystem. This role will be the primary legal partner for the Content, Partnerships, and Business Development teams, focusing on negotiating content and IP licensing deals, developer and publishing agreements, and strategic partnerships. The position will also provide secondary support for commercial vendor, retail/distribution, and hardware supply chain agreements. This is a hands-on role for an individual who wants to actively build the legal framework for a growing platform business.

Requirements

• Hold a J.D. and active bar membership in good standing (California or another U.S. state, as applicable).
• 7-10+ years of combined law firm and in-house experience, including meaningful time supporting a content/media partnerships business.
• Direct experience negotiating publishing/content licensing deals.
• Understand partnership economics: how revenue share and attribution work, and how to structure incentives that align interests.
• Comfortable operating in an entrepreneurial environment with little existing precedent; proactive, independent, and energized by building rather than maintaining.
• Communicate with clarity and business judgment, tailoring advice to enable responsible, fast-moving growth.
• Comfortable presenting partnership strategy to business leaders.
• Demonstrate sound judgment in ambiguous or fast-changing situations, and can distinguish real risk from theoretical risk.
• Willing and able to flex into commercial, vendor, or hardware-adjacent agreements when the business needs it.
• Bring genuine curiosity about AI tools and how they're reshaping commercial legal practice.

Nice To Haves

• Experience at a gaming or consumer content/media company.
• Experience negotiating with entertainment studios, media brands, or children's content licensors.
• Working knowledge of children's privacy frameworks (e.g., COPPA) or international data privacy regimes as applied in a commercial/platform context.
• Some exposure to hardware, manufacturing, or supply chain agreements.
• Familiarity with CLM systems (Spotdraft, Ironclad, or similar) from a heavy end-user or template-owner perspective.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate developer and publishing agreements for third-party studios and content creators, covering aspects like revenue share, IP ownership, quality/certification requirements, and platform terms.
• Structure and negotiate Play Pass content licensing and distribution agreements, balancing catalog growth with economic sustainability and IP protection.
• Lead negotiation of brand and content licensing agreements with entertainment and children's media partners, including royalty structures, approval rights, marketing commitments, and IP/trademark compliance.
• Serve as the primary legal advisor to Business Development and Partnerships teams on strategic collaborations, co-marketing arrangements, and platform integrations.
• Independently lead complex, multi-party negotiations involving revenue-sharing, joint go-to-market plans, and cross-promotional commitments.
• Support retail, distribution, vendor, and marketing agreements as needed, partnering with Legal Operations on templates and processes.
• Provide secondary review and negotiation support on manufacturing, supply chain, and OEM/ODM agreements.
• Partner with Product Counsel to identify commercial, product liability, regulatory, and privacy issues.
• Build trusted relationships with Content, Partnerships, Business Development, Product, and Marketing teams.
• Partner with Legal Operations on intake triage, template design, and CLM workflow design.
• Manage and coordinate outside counsel on specialized or high-stakes IP, regulatory, or hardware/supply chain matters.
• Use AI-powered legal tools to accelerate contract review, drafting, and analysis, and help identify opportunities to further integrate AI into workflows.
• Contribute to Nex's broader legal function build-out, including templates, policies, and training.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation package.
• Flexible working hours and vacation policy.
• Product-driven culture that treasures talents and individual growth.
• Front-row seat and hands-on experience with cutting edge technologies in the evolving gaming field.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree