Senior Contracts Counsel : California

Writers Guild of America, West
 

Senior Contracts Counsel

Based in Los Angeles, CA

The Contracts Department of the Writers Guild of America West, is currently seeking qualified applicants for the position of Senior Contracts Counsel. This position is a full time, exempt (salaried) position with excellent comprehensive benefits package. Compensation is commensurate with experience.

Under the general supervision of the Senior Director of Contracts, the Senior Contracts Counsel oversees key programs within the Contracts Department in addition to performing investigations, enforcing Guild agreements, and providing MBA expertise to other Guild departments. The Contracts Department is responsible for enforcing, interpreting and administering the Guild’s various collective bargaining agreements.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1. Analyze, interpret, administer and enforce the provisions of the Guild’s various collective bargaining agreements, individual writer agreements, and special deals;
2. Oversee the department’s program for collection, review and analysis of employment contracts, new media license agreements, and budgets;
3. Negotiate and supervise the negotiation of animation deals, basic cable agreements pursuant to Appendix C, and various other special deals;
4. Oversee the department’s administration and enforcement of separated rights provisions;
5. Analyze contractual matters from various Guild departments and work closely with enforcement departments to provide analysis regarding matters of MBA interpretation and Guild policy;
6. Investigate and oversee investigations of claims in connection with individual writers’ contracts and the Guild’s various collective bargaining agreements;
7. Communicate with writers, attorneys, agents and representatives from production entities to ensure compliance with Guild agreements;
8. Supervise certain department staff and conduct annual performance reviews;
9. Help coordinate workflow for the department’s administrative staff;
10. Plan and conduct MBA training for Guild staff and, frequently, for law firms, and speak at industry conferences and other events;
11. Testify in legal arbitration hearings as necessary;
12. Research relevant bargaining history and arbitration awards and consult with Guild personnel, as necessary;
13. Assist in generating detailed reports necessary for collective bargaining and enforcement of the Guild’s collective bargaining agreements;
14. Other duties deemed necessary by the Senior Director of Contracts.

OCCUPATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

1. Must possess superior writing skills, verbal communication skills, and analytical skills
2. Ability to understand and interpret complex provisions of the Guild’s collective bargaining agreements, contracts and other legal documents
3. Must be able to work well with others in a very fast-paced, multi-faceted work environment
4. J.D. required
5. Must be a member of a state bar, preferably CA
6. Entertainment industry experience preferred
7. Must be computer literate (MS Word, Excel)

TO APPLY
Interested applicants should email résumé and two writing samples to the Human Resources Department of the Writers Guild at: recruitment[at]wga.org.

EOE