Senior Counsel

Job Posting Title:Senior CounselReq ID:10157573Job Description:ESPN is seeking a seasoned attorney for the role of Senior Counsel. This position will report to the Lead Counsel and will assist and support the Lead Counsel, Chief Counsel, General Counsel, and other attorneys in fulfilling the legal affairs and requirements of the corporation. Areas of focus can include, but are not limited to, programming acquisitions, production agreements, marketing and promotion, digital (including social) media and platforms, and distribution, as well as legal work related to various aspects of direct-to-consumer offerings. ESPN will consider placement of this position in New York, NY, or Bristol, CT.What You Will Do:Maintains current knowledge of substantial range of federal, state, and local laws and of legislative and regulatory developments, analyzes how these might impact ESPN, and conceives and recommends compliance actionsServes as primary Legal Department representative for assigned ESPN departments or categoriesDrafts contracts and other legal documents, recommends approval/modification of contracts proposed by outside parties, and negotiates with outside partiesPossesses and maintains (including through continuing legal education) knowledge in specialized legal areas, including emerging trends, specifically in connection with (1) content (including audiovisual programming, licensing and production); (2) intellectual property (copyright, trademark, rights of publicity); (3) marketing and promotion; and/or (4) digital (including social) media and platformsConceives and recommends strategies and tactics in response to legislative and regulatory developments and other events or anticipated actionsKeeps internal clients (and Legal leadership team) fully informed of relevant legal issues and implications of their current operations and proposed actions and, advises them accordingly of risks and legal consequences of alternative actionsReviews and edits significant guidelines, policies, letters, work orders, and other documents from applicable client departments to ensure that legal implications are appropriately handledManages outside counsel in their representation of ESPN on litigation and other legal service matters and analyzes the approach and effectiveness of such outside counselMay supervise, on a non-exclusive basis, one or more Paralegal and Legal Assistant colleagues, and may supervise individual projects of Counsel(s)Recommends and may implement Legal Department policy at the direction of General Counsel and Chief CounselOperates within the context of defined corporate strategiesRecommends and implements enhancements and improvements to established processes and workflowsTranslates corporate strategy into mid- and long-term goalsTranslates the analysis and evaluation of trends in ESPN's legal positioning and compliance into recommended corporate actionsConceives and recommends strategies and initiatives to minimize the legal risks of current operations and proposed actionsDetermines / recommends the language of template legal documentsAnalyzes the legal implications of proposed ventures and current operations and proposed actions of internal clientsAnalyzes new laws and legislative and regulatory developments for their potential impact on ESPNGuides or participates in the management of client organizations in the interpretation of complex informationContributes to ensuring the processing efficiencies at all levels of the organizationsEnsures that internal clients have an adequate understanding of the law as it applies to their operationsInteracts with internal client managementRequired Qualifications & Skills:A minimum of 5 years relevant experience, including extensive drafting, in a transactional practice at a law firm, network/studio, sports league, agency, and/or other in-house legal departmentA strong understanding of contract negotiating (including, by way of example only, programming acquisition, licensing, and production agreements) and general commercial/transactional legal mattersFamiliarity with entertainment, broadcast/cable, internet, mobile, direct-to-consumer, social and other digital media, and/or sports businessesExcellent interpersonal, written/verbal communication, and analytical skillsExcellent organizational, prioritization, and time management skills with the ability to work under tight deadlines and execute efficiently against multiple, high-priority and high-volume projects in a fast-paced environmentExceptional ability to respond to and interact with creative and business executives at all levels of seniority in a manner that is personable and professionalExceptional facility with spotting issues, assessing, and communicating risks, making common-sense decisions, and finding flexible/creative solutions to achieve business goalsPreferred Qualifications:Familiarity with content agreement negotiating (including, by way of example only, audiovisual programming, licensing and production agreements) and intellectual property law (copyright, trademark, rights of publicity)Familiarity with audiovisual production legal work, including licensing of audiovisual content and data componentsExperience supervising paralegal/legal support staffEducation:JD degree or equivalent from an accredited law schoolAdmission to New York State Bar or Connecticut State Bar in good standing or willingness and qualification to be Registered In-House Counsel in the applicable state of employment The hiring range for this position in New York, NY is $182,900 to $236,600 per year and for Bristol, CT it is $174,600 to 225,800. 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.Job Posting Segment:LegalJob Posting Primary Business:ESPN LegalPrimary Job Posting Category:AttorneyEmployment Type:Full timePrimary City, State, Region, Postal Code:New York, NY, USAAlternate City, State, Region, Postal Code:USA - CT - ESPN Building 16 - 575 Birch StDate Posted:2026-08-07SummaryLocation: New York, NY, USA; Bristol, CT, USAType: Full time