Counsel, Business & Legal Affairs

Role : Counsel, Business & Legal Affairs

Location : New York City — SoHo (hybrid, minimum three days per week in office)

Reports to : Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs

About Words + Pictures

Words + Pictures (W+P) is a production studio built to create premium, culturally relevant nonfiction films and series. The studio is home to a portfolio of director-led production companies, including 11-time Emmy winner Jonathan Hock's Hock Films and 7-time Emmy winner Jason Hehir's Little Room Films, with in-house production capability through Full Day Productions. Recent and ongoing work spans Netflix, ESPN, HBO, Hulu, Apple TV+, Amazon, Max, and NBC, including titles such as Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, Celtics City, Court of Gold, NWSL: The Final Third, Full Court Press, NASCAR Full Speed, and 30 for 30.

W+P is entering its next chapter. The studio is scaling across a deep slate of premium nonfiction projects, a growing roster of director-led production companies, and the in-house capabilities of Full Day Productions.

The Opportunity

Words + Pictures is looking for a qualified and highly motivated attorney to join its Business & Legal Affairs and Rights & Clearances Department. Reporting to the Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs, this role provides day-to-day support for production legal, risk management, and rights & clearances across unscripted programs, other original content, and live events.

This is a hands-on production legal role for someone who can move quickly and advise with confidence - counseling production teams on legal issues from pre-production through delivery, structuring and negotiating the agreements that keep projects moving, and serving as a trusted partner to the creative and production leadership driving the studio's slate. The ideal candidate is a skilled production attorney who can expertly and quickly identify and resolve legal issues in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.

Mission

To protect and enable the studio's creative ambitions ensuring that every project, from development through delivery, is built on a sound legal foundation that manages risk without slowing the work. This role exists to give W+P's production teams the legal confidence to make premium nonfiction at scale.

Key Outcomes & Success Metrics

Production Legal Support

• Production teams across the slate are supported from pre-production through delivery, with legal issues identified and resolved quickly enough to keep projects on schedule.

• Day-to-day production agreements are structured, negotiated, and drafted accurately and on the timelines production requires.

Rights & Clearances

• Rights-related risks, copyright and fair use, trademark, defamation, rights of publicity and privacy, and archival and stock footage licensing, are identified early and cleared cleanly for delivery and broadcast.

• Content is evaluated and risk-assessed from development through pre-broadcast review, with clearance reports and errors-and-omissions (E&O) requirements handled so issues are flagged before they become delivery obstacles.

Risk Management & Partnership

• The studio serves as an effective liaison between production, post-production, and development teams and its distributors on releases and production agreements.

• Live events are legally supported end-to-end, including venue, talent, sponsor, and partner agreements and on-site risk management.

Responsibilities

• Provide production legal support for projects in development and active production, from pre-production through delivery.

• Structure, negotiate, and draft day-to-day production legal agreements, including production service agreements, appearance and participant releases, life rights and consent agreements, location agreements, materials releases, music agreements, and NDAs, and provide ongoing legal support throughout production.

• Provide analysis and advice on rights-related issues, including copyright and fair use, trademark, defamation, and rights of publicity and privacy; advise on the clearance and licensing of archival and stock footage.

• Act as a liaison between production / post-production / development teams and distributors regarding releases and various production agreements.

• Support legal needs for live events, including venue and talent agreements, sponsor and partner contracts, and on-site risk management.

• Evaluate content to assess legal risks from development through pre-broadcast review, including preparing and reviewing clearance reports and responding to E&O insurance requirements to ensure projects are cleared for delivery.

• Assist with special projects and other tasks as required.

Please note: The responsibilities outlined in this document are not intended to be an exhaustive list, and the scope of the role may evolve based on business needs.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Who You Are

Experience

• 3–5 years of experience as a practicing entertainment or production attorney; OR 5–7 years of experience in rights and clearances, preferably in television, film, or digital media, with a deep understanding of copyright and demonstrated experience clearing rights for productions.

• JD from an accredited law school and membership in good standing of the New York State Bar (or eligibility for registration as in-house counsel in New York).

Core Competencies

• Excellent negotiation, drafting, and analytical skills with a high level of attention to detail.

• Demonstrated ability to exercise independent judgment, set priorities, and manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.

• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to build productive working relationships across internal teams and external partners.

Style & Mindset

• A fast-moving, pragmatic problem-solver who can advise production quickly and decisively without sacrificing rigor.

• Collaborative and service-oriented, comfortable acting as a trusted partner to creative and production teams.

• Genuinely engaged with premium nonfiction storytelling across documentary, sports, and culture-driven content.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with unscripted/nonfiction programming, particularly documentary and sports content.

• Familiarity with guild agreements (DGA, WGA, SAG-AFTRA) as they apply to nonfiction production.

• Working knowledge of music licensing, including master use and synchronization rights.

Compensation

$150,000 – $170,000 annually, commensurate with experience. This position is eligible for a discretionary bonus. W+P offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage; 401(k) with company match; paid time off; and paid parental leave.

Words + Pictures is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.