Counsel, Publishing

Storytelling is, and will always be, the heart of what we do at Skydance.
Our vision is to build a thriving entertainment ecosystem where stories and worlds are imagined, brought to life and experienced. We create for every age and audience, anchored by the strength of our content and experiences and the depth of our connection with fans. We are creator-first, audience-focused, tech-forward, globally scaled.

Here, you’ll work with talented teams that move fast, think boldly and collaborate with purpose to deliver results. We aim high, champion the best ideas and win together, earning the trust of our employees, creators, partners and audiences every day.

If you’re energized by the opportunity to help build the next-generation global media and entertainment company powered by creativity and technology, we’d be thrilled to welcome you aboard. LET’S GO!

Overview and Responsibilities:

As part of our broader Consumer Products legal team, this attorney role provides strategic legal counsel and services to support Paramount Global Publishing’s mission to deliver diverse, high-quality storytelling across print, digital, and audio platforms. The position focuses on enabling content that spans multiple genres and engages audiences of all ages—from children and families to adult readers.

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Serve as a strategic legal business partner to the Paramount Publishing team, supporting the launch and ongoing operations of a new publishing imprint developing franchise‑based and original literary IP.
• Negotiate, draft, and review a broad range of publishing agreements, including rights acquisitions, author and illustrator agreements, collaborations and co‑author agreements, adaptations, inbound and outbound licensing agreements, distribution agreements, and vendor/production services agreements.
• Advise on intellectual property matters related to publishing, including copyright ownership, rights, chain‑of‑title, derivative works, and exploitation across formats and platforms.
• Initiate and support complex rights negotiations to unlock frozen and/or restricted rights.
• Support publishing initiatives inspired by Paramount’s iconic brands and franchises, ensuring alignment with franchise management, brand protection and long‑term IP strategy.
• Provide legal guidance on royalty structures, profit participation, accounting provisions, audit rights, advances and recoupment models customary in the book and digital publishing industries.
• Collaborate closely with Consumer Products, Franchise, Marketing, Labor Relations and Business Affairs teams to enable timely development, launch and commercialization of publishing projects.
• Identify and manage legal risks associated with publishing, manufacturing and distributing content, including defamation, privacy, publicity rights, trademark usage and fair use issues.
• Oversee and coordinate with outside counsel as needed on specialized publishing or IP matters while maintaining internal ownership of core legal strategy.
• Support the development and maintenance of legal templates, deal forms and best practices to enable efficient growth of the publishing business.

Basic Qualifications:

• 4+ years of legal experience, with a combination of law firm and/or in‑house experience preferred.
• J.D. from an accredited law school and admission to practice law in New York or California.
• In-depth knowledge of publishing, media, entertainment, or consumer products businesses, with strong familiarity with publishing industry agreements and customs.
• Substantial experience negotiating intellectual property‑driven commercial agreements.
• Working knowledge of guild and labor issues.

Additional Qualifications:

• Prior experience in book publishing (print and/or digital), media, entertainment or brand licensing environments preferred.
• Strong understanding of how publishing content intersects with broader entertainment ecosystems, including film, television, consumer products and digital platforms.
• Experience advising creative, editorial and business teams in fast‑moving, entrepreneurial environments.
• Proven ability to balance legal risk with business objectives and provide practical, solutions‑oriented counsel.
• Excellent drafting, negotiation, and communication skills, with the ability to operate independently while collaborating effectively across functions.

About Skydance Skydance is a next-generation global media and entertainment company, comprised of three business segments: Studios, Direct-to-Consumer, and TV Media. Skydance's portfolio unites legendary brands, including Paramount, Warner Bros., HBO and HBO Max, Paramount+, Pluto TV, CBS, CNN, CBS Sports, TNT Sports, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, MTV, Food Network, BET, HGTV, and Comedy Central.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Hiring Salary Range: $139,200.00 - 208,800.00. 

In compliance with local law, we are disclosing compensation, or a range thereof, for roles where legally required. Actual salaries will vary based on a variety of job-related factors, including but not limited to geographic location, external market data, internal equity, skill set, experience, training, education, and/or performance. Base pay is just one component of our total compensation package. Other rewards may include annual bonuses, short- and long-term incentives, and program-specific awards.
This position is bonus eligible.

What We Offer :

• Attractive compensation and comprehensive benefits packages. Check out our full list of benefits here .
• Generous paid time off.
• Complimentary subscriptions to HBO Max, Paramount+, and other Skydance streaming services and digital news products.
• Robust employee engagement opportunities, including access to exclusive screenings and events, speaker series, volunteer activities and more.

Skydance is an equal opportunity employer (EOE)

We embrace the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects a wide array of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit. In line with the laws of the country or region in which the role is based, this includes consideration without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, religion or belief, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, physical or mental disability, genetic information, military or protected veteran status, union status or any other category protected by applicable law.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability, you may request a reasonable accommodation during the job application and/or recruitment process. You can request reasonable accommodations by calling View phone number on us.fitly.work or by sending an email to View email address on us.fitly.work. Only messages left for this purpose will be returned.