VP, Lead Corporate and Commercial Counsel

EP | Central Casting•Burbank, CA

8d•$265,000 - $285,000

About The Position

At Entertainment Partners and Central Casting, we are committed to creating an environment where every employee is seen, where ideas, thoughts and perspectives are shared openly, and where fearless innovation is encouraged. Weaving diversity, equity, and inclusion into who we are will drive our competitiveness by encouraging creativity and enhanced decision making. We help to power Oscar-winning films, Emmy-winning shows, and Clio-winning commercials. Feel the satisfaction of doing work that directly impacts the most exciting industry in the world. EP is poised to redefine and evolve the back-office processes of the entertainment community with security at the core of what we do. We are looking for a Vice President Lead Corporate and Commercial Counsel! This is a role for a commercially minded lawyer who pairs first-rate legal judgment with the maturity and presence to build trust quickly across a complex and fast-moving organization. The successful candidate will be as adept at calibrating risk to advance the Company’s commercial objectives as at identifying it—a pragmatic voice who brings clarity and stability to a dynamic industry and makes the business better at what it does. The role leads (i) the negotiation, drafting, and management of the Company’s customer-facing technology agreements, as well as its vendor and supplier agreements; (ii) corporate governance matters, including entity maintenance, corporate filings, and resolutions across jurisdictions; (iii) support to the General Counsel on mergers and acquisitions, strategic initiatives, and related integration; and (iv) legal guidance to designated business units, including CASHet, EP UK/ANZ, and tax incentives. The role also manages a team of attorneys and contract professionals supporting EP’s corporate and commercial legal function.

Requirements

JD degree from nationally recognized, ABA-accredited law school
Active license to practice law in California (and/or in one or more states or the District of Columbia).
10+ years of experience in a law firm and/or in-house legal department; substantial in-house experience preferred.
Demonstrated experience negotiating and drafting technology, SaaS, and/or services agreements, as well as vendor/supplier agreements.
Experience supporting corporate governance matters and mergers and acquisitions.
Experience managing, mentoring, and developing other attorneys and/or legal professionals.
Experience advising a multinational or multi-jurisdictional business, ideally in technology, financial services, or entertainment.
Strong command of contract law, drafting, and negotiation.
Sound legal judgment, business acumen, and decision-making skills.
Ability to distill complex legal concepts for business stakeholders.
Strong legal and business writing and oral communication skills.
Familiarity with contract management and legal operations technology, and working knowledge of AI-enabled tools in the legal space.
Ability to manage multiple complex matters simultaneously, with strong time management and prioritization.
Responsible handling of confidential and sensitive information.
Executive presence and gravitas, i.e., the credibility to advise, influence, and earn the trust of senior stakeholders across the enterprise.
High emotional intelligence and a natural ability to build relationships and rapport quickly across functions, cultures, and jurisdictions.
A pragmatic, commercially oriented approach to risk. Ability to calibrate legal risk to the Company’s objectives and deliver clear, actionable guidance rather than issue-spotting alone.
Composure and steady judgment under pressure; a stabilizing presence in a fast-changing, high-pressure industry.
A collaborative leadership style that develops talent and fosters a high-performing, inclusive team culture.
Active learning, active listening, and complex problem-solving capacity.

Responsibilities

Lead the negotiation, drafting, and management of the Company’s customer-facing agreements (including technology and SaaS agreements) and vendor/supplier agreements, overseeing the team responsible for contract review, drafting, and template management.
Serve as in-house counsel for corporate governance matters, including drafting corporate resolutions, maintaining corporate records, and overseeing the timely filing of corporate documents and reports across jurisdictions.
Partner with the General Counsel and external counsel on mergers and acquisitions and other strategic initiatives, including due diligence, deal structuring, negotiation, and post-closing integration.
Function as the lead legal contact for designated business units, providing agreement review and drafting, legal research, and compliance guidance.
Manage and mentor a small team of corporate and commercial attorneys and contract professionals, fostering a collaborative, high-performing culture and identifying opportunities for talent development.
Oversee the administration and continuous improvement of EP’s contract management systems and template agreement library, and identify workflow improvements to maximize efficiency in customer onboarding and contract negotiation.
Manage legal matters relating to the Company’s employee incentive plans.
Provide backup support on data privacy, security, and technology-related contractual matters in coordination with the Privacy Team.
Identify and help execute process and operational efficiencies within the corporate and commercial legal function, including the deployment of legal technology and AI-enabled solutions.
Serve as a trusted legal resource and advisor to in-house counsel, business-unit leaders, and cross-functional teams enterprise-wide, and assist on other legal projects and matters as identified by the General Counsel.