Sr. Counsel, Intellectual Property

About the Role

WWE is seeking a skilled and proactive Corporate Counsel to join our Business & Legal Affairs team and report into the WWE - Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and TKO - Head of Intellectual Property and Licensing. The ideal candidate will have approximately 6-8 years of legal experience, focused on intellectual property clearance, prosecution, enforcement and protection as well as drafting and negotiating corporate agreements. This position offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of law, business strategy, and entertainment.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive clearance searches and provide risk assessments for new brands, products, character names, corporate logos, and apparel slogans.
• Monitor and enforce the company’s intellectual property portfolio (trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets), including drafting and sending cease-and-desist letters, managing takedowns, filing UDRP actions, managing third party enforcement vendors and supporting litigation if necessary.
• Develop and institute best practices for IP enforcement and protection for infringements, counterfeit and video piracy strategies.
• Advise on copyright, domain name and related brand protection issues.
• Support IP enforcement, including monitoring, cease and desist letters, opposition and related disputes.
• Collaborate with external counsel and IP offices globally on enforcement. Work closely with internal business units on a wide variety of intellectual property related matters.
• Stay current on relevant legal developments, including changes in IP law and technology affecting brand owners’ ability to monitor and enforce proactively.
• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of contracts for all business needs relating to sports and entertainment, including agreements relating to independent contractors, talent, marketing, media, multimedia, content, licenses, performance, services, non-disclosure agreements, and other complex commercial agreements generally utilized in the sports and entertainment industry, including consumer products license agreements, vendor agreements, service-level agreements, font license agreements, partnership contracts, releases and waivers, appearance agreements, independent contractor agreements, and NDAs.
• Draft, advise, and review a broad range of contracts for all business needs relating to sports and entertainment, including agreements relating to independent contractors, talent, marketing, media, multimedia, content, licenses, performance, services, non-disclosure agreements, and other complex commercial agreements generally utilized in the sports and entertainment industry
• Work closely, collaboratively and enthusiastically with other members of the Business & Legal Affairs team of WWE, WWE affiliates, as well as corresponding business clients.
• Provide comprehensive legal advice and counsel to internal business units.
• Provide real-time analysis and advice on business and legal issues, including questions of contract interpretation and enforcement.
• Participate in special projects and other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school and admission to at least one U.S. state bar, and the ability to register as Connecticut authorized in-house counsel.
• Strong background in trademark clearance, prosecution and enforcement.
• Experience drafting and negotiating corporate contracts.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
• Knowledge or willingness to watch current and historical WWE programming.

Required Skills

• Working and recent knowledge and experience with clearance search work as well as U.S. trademark prosecution (including all filings with the U.S. Trademark Office).
• Familiarity with domestic and international IP enforcement strategies.

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