Senior Counsel, TRA(C)K-IP

Sony Pictures Entertainment•Culver City, CA

About The Position

The Intellectual Property team is seeking a Counsel to work in its TRA©K-IP department. TRA©K-IP is responsible for analysis of SPE’s distribution, ancillary, and remake/sequel rights in its entertainment properties, serves as SPE’s subject matter experts regarding complicated chain of title matters and certain other complex copyright issues, and handles copyright administration. Reporting to a lawyer in the department, the Senior Counsel will focus on remake/sequel and ancillary rights research and analysis, communicating with the relevant SPE divisions via memos, emails and input into relevant company databases. The Senior Counsel also will perform any/all other aspects of the department’s work, as needed. SPE’s TRA©K-IP Group serves business partners across SPE’s divisions, including production, acquisitions, consumer products, and distribution divisions, worldwide.

Requirements

Law degree
Member in good standing of the CA Bar
Eight years of experience practicing law
Experience in copyright law and/or with entertainment contracts
Experience working with complex databases (including for purposes of research, analysis, and date entry) strongly preferred
Excellent written and oral communication skills
Excellent analytical and issue-spotting skills
Excellent legal and business judgment
Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to interact collaboratively
Demonstrated ability to pay attention to detail
Strong organizational skills and ability to work in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities

Nice To Haves

Experience with chain of title issues a plus

Responsibilities

Advising SPE’s various production divisions regarding SPE’s rights to produce derivative productions based on its owned properties and exploit associated ancillary rights.
Researching and analyzing all relevant agreements.
Thorough understanding of entertainment deals, copyright issues (including chain of title and statutory termination/reversion), and WGA separated rights issues.
Drafting a thorough and client-friendly communication summarizing the rights, obligations, and any legal issues.
Participating in requirements-gathering sessions with SPE’s Information Technology department regarding new functionality in SPE’s rights application(s).
Inputting, as needed, into SPE’s rights application(s) and guiding and supervising the input of other team members.
Advising on proper interpretation of many types of entertainment contracts, including literary property purchase agreements, co-financing and distribution agreements, network license agreements, and talent agreements.
Providing additional legal guidance to the team and business partners, as needed, including on issues related to chain of title, copyright registrations and recordations, distribution rights, and ancillary rights.