Deputy Chief Counsel, DTC

At Disney, we are storytellers. We operate at the intersection of entertainment and technology to bring stories to life through our movies, products, video games, parks and resorts, and media networks.  Disney’s DTC business and services deliver unparalleled creative content to audiences around the world. 

We are seeking a Deputy Chief Counsel, DTC to lead, manage and inspire the legal team (currently, sixteen attorneys, one paralegal, and two admins) that supports and advises Disney’s DTC business and services, including Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN, among others. 

This role will be based in Santa Monica, California.

Responsibilities

The Deputy Chief Counsel, DTC role requires a talented, experienced candidate who should have significant product/technology, content licensing, linear carriage, consumer law, content security and marketing legal experience to serve as the subject matter expert for all business units that service Disney’s DTC offerings.  In this role, the Deputy Chief Counsel will advise these teams on complex issues across Disney’s DTC SVOD, LIVE and premium add-on offerings. 

The ideal candidate for this position will be well versed in identifying potential legal risks and developing business-focused strategies to mitigate them. The Deputy Chief Counsel, DTC will, among other things: 

• Lead a large team of attorneys in advising on product, content, content security, linear carriage and marketing matters affecting Disney’s SVOD, LIVE and premium add-on offerings, and serve as the escalation point for all critical issues.

• Provide key counsel to the Product, Business Operations, Viewer Experience, Marketing, Global Acquisitions, LIVE, Corporate and Strategy teams.

• Serve as the main liaison between Disney’s DTC executive leadership and the legal team for critical matters affecting Disney’s SVOD, LIVE and premium add-on offerings.

• Partner directly with Disney’s DTC business executives and team members in all phases of product launches and development, regulatory compliance and incident management.

• Collaborate with business and legal subject matter experts across Disney Legal and Government Affairs, including Privacy, Public Policy, Government Relations, Litigation, and IP, including the international lawyers who advise the regional DTC business teams.   

• Understand the high-level business goals of the company and provide strategic guidance that marries the business and legal initiatives of the company.

• Assess risk and offer creative solutions to problems in delivering general product and technology counseling in a rapidly changing streaming industry.  

• Manage outside counsel and outside counsel legal budgets.

Minimum Qualifications

• An attorney with a minimum of 15 years' experience, including sophisticated executive leadership and management experience and demonstrated ability to evaluate risk and exercise sound legal judgment.

• Ability to regularly and independently provide expert and strategic legal advice for a business that operates in a complex business and regulatory environment, including on highly sensitive matters.

• Ability to operate largely autonomously while knowing when to consult with DTC business and Disney Legal and Government Affairs leadership and subject-matter experts.

• Ability to lead, structure, negotiate, and draft (or oversee the structuring, negotiating, and drafting of) a wide variety of complex commercial transactions.

• Ability to anticipate issues and proactively develop creative business-oriented and brand-consistent solutions to mitigate legal risks encompassing a wide range of practice areas, including product development, transactional matters, IP, and other related areas.

• Experience in litigation risk advisory work.

• Background in product, technology, content and marketing counseling.

• Strong work ethic and commitment to professionalism and integrity.

• Excellent leadership, supervisory, interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to both discuss complex technical terms with internal counterparts and distill those concepts for non-technical stakeholders.

• Ability to effectively interact with all levels of management, including the C suite.

• Willingness to tackle matters outside of expertise.

Preferred Qualifications

• Passion for the streaming business and technology

Required Education

• J.D. degree from an accredited law school.

• Admission to the California State Bar in good standing or willingness and qualification to be Registered In-House Counsel in California.

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The hiring range for this position in California is $281,500 to $377,500 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.