Commercial Counsel

Nex • San Jose, CA

9d • Remote

About The Position

Nex is seeking an experienced commercial attorney to lead legal support for its content and partnerships ecosystem. This role involves managing the agreements and relationships that bring games, experiences, and brand collaborations onto the Nex Playground platform. The Commercial Counsel 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. Secondary support will be provided for commercial vendor, retail/distribution, and hardware supply chain agreements. This is a hands-on position for an individual who is eager to build the legal framework for a growing platform business.

Requirements

• 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.
• Understanding of partnership economics, including revenue share and attribution, and structuring incentives.
• Comfort operating in an entrepreneurial environment with little existing precedent.
• Proactive, independent, and energized by building rather than maintaining.
• Clear communication with business judgment, tailoring advice for responsible, fast-moving growth.
• Ability to present partnership strategy to business leaders.
• Sound judgment in ambiguous or fast-changing situations.
• Willingness to flex into commercial, vendor, or hardware-adjacent agreements.
• Genuine curiosity about AI tools and their impact on 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.
• 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 sustainable economics and IP protection.
• Lead negotiation of brand and content licensing agreements with entertainment and children's media partners, addressing royalty structures, approval rights, marketing commitments, and IP/trademark compliance.
• Act 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 arrangements, joint go-to-market plans, and cross-promotional commitments.
• Support retail, distribution, vendor, and marketing agreements as needed, in partnership with Legal Operations.
• 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 matters.
• Utilize AI-powered legal tools to accelerate contract review, drafting, and analysis, and explore further AI integration.
• Contribute to the broader legal function build-out, including templates, policies, and training.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation package
• Flexible working hours
• Flexible 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