Counsel, Publishing

Paramount•New York, NY

1d•$139,200 - $208,800

About The Position

As part of our broader Consumer Products legal team, this attorney role provides strategic legal counsel and services to support Paramount Global Publishing’s mission to deliver diverse, high-quality storytelling across print, digital, and audio platforms. The position focuses on enabling content that spans multiple genres and engages audiences of all ages—from children and families to adult readers.

Requirements

4+ years of legal experience, with a combination of law firm and/or in‑house experience preferred.
J.D. from an accredited law school and admission to practice law in New York or California.
In-depth knowledge of publishing, media, entertainment, or consumer products businesses, with strong familiarity with publishing industry agreements and customs.
Substantial experience negotiating intellectual property‑driven commercial agreements.
Working knowledge of guild and labor issues.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience in book publishing (print and/or digital), media, entertainment or brand licensing environments preferred.
Strong understanding of how publishing content intersects with broader entertainment ecosystems, including film, television, consumer products and digital platforms.
Experience advising creative, editorial and business teams in fast‑moving, entrepreneurial environments.
Proven ability to balance legal risk with business objectives and provide practical, solutions‑oriented counsel.
Excellent drafting, negotiation, and communication skills, with the ability to operate independently while collaborating effectively across functions.

Responsibilities

Serve as a strategic legal business partner to the Paramount Publishing team, supporting the launch and ongoing operations of a new publishing imprint developing franchise‑based and original literary IP.
Negotiate, draft, and review a broad range of publishing agreements, including rights acquisitions, author and illustrator agreements, collaborations and co‑author agreements, adaptations, inbound and outbound licensing agreements, distribution agreements, and vendor/production services agreements.
Advise on intellectual property matters related to publishing, including copyright ownership, rights, chain‑of‑title, derivative works, and exploitation across formats and platforms.
Initiate and support complex rights negotiations to unlock frozen and/or restricted rights.
Support publishing initiatives inspired by Paramount’s iconic brands and franchises, ensuring alignment with franchise management, brand protection and long‑term IP strategy.
Provide legal guidance on royalty structures, profit participation, accounting provisions, audit rights, advances and recoupment models customary in the book and digital publishing industries.
Collaborate closely with Consumer Products, Franchise, Marketing, Labor Relations and Business Affairs teams to enable timely development, launch and commercialization of publishing projects.
Identify and manage legal risks associated with publishing, manufacturing and distributing content, including defamation, privacy, publicity rights, trademark usage and fair use issues.
Oversee and coordinate with outside counsel as needed on specialized publishing or IP matters while maintaining internal ownership of core legal strategy.
Support the development and maintenance of legal templates, deal forms and best practices to enable efficient growth of the publishing business.