Associate Counsel, Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law Job at Complex NTWRK (New York)

Job Description

Complex seeks a New York–based lawyer with 3+ years of experience focused on inbound and outbound intellectual property licensing for consumer products/merch, plus fluency in live events, pop-ups, and talent/influencer contracting. You’ll draft and negotiate high-impact deals across collaborations, merchandise programs, experiential activations, and creator partnerships, protecting our brands while enabling speed. You will work closely with cross disciplinary stakeholders to structure, draft, negotiate and advise on intricate, multi-faceted media agreements. You must be able to work independently and as part of a highly collaborative team. A strong work ethic, professional demeanor and business acumen is essential for this role.

Job Responsibility

Merchandise & Licensing: Drafting, negotiating, and managing merchandise licensing agreements
oversight of inbound/outbound co-branded IP licensing
collaborations with consumer brands, retail partners, and manufacturers
and rights clearance
Intellectual Property Rights: Advising on trademark, copyright, publicity rights, brand protection, anti-counterfeiting, and enforcement strategies
managing clearance of logos, names, characters, artwork, and designs for use on merchandise and in co-branded programs
Retail, Distribution & eCommerce: Manufacturing and supply agreements, QC/approvals, safety/labeling basics, wholesale/marketplace/DTC terms (service levels, returns/chargebacks), and fulfillment/reporting
Experiential & Live Events: Draft agreements for pop-ups, festival activations, and on-site retail agreements
Brand Partnerships & Sponsorships: Partner with Sales/Brand Partnerships to structure, draft, and negotiate sponsorship agreements (IOs/CCAs/SOWs, talent attachments)
Structure, draft, negotiate, and manage complex commercial agreements across digital media, entertainment, and publishing, including advertising sales transactions with direct and agency clients
Drive inbound licensing and rights clearance for third-party IP used in merch, content, and activations (trademarks, artwork, characters, music/footage), ensuring clean chain-of-title
Negotiate manufacturing, distribution, and retail/e-commerce agreements (MGs/royalties, service levels, marketing commitments, returns/recalls basics)
Structure and negotiate merchandising framework and collaboration agreements with music labels and third-party merch companies, covering rights clearance, co-brand/mark usage, MG/royalty and audit mechanics, and on-site and e-commerce sales
Support events and pop-ups: venue and temporary occupancy, fabrication/production, vendor MSAs, insurance/COIs and indemnities, on-site filming/appearance releases, and sponsor/activation packages
Draft talent/influencer/creator deals (deliverables, usage windows/territories, exclusivity, morality, right-of-publicity, FTC disclosure and platform-policy compliance)
Advise on trademark strategy and brand protection and manage the day-to-day portfolio with outside counsel
Create and maintain template forms, guideline documentation, and training materials, and prepare clear deal summaries for Brand Partnerships, Content & Editorial, Advertising, and Finance

Requirements

JD required from an ABA accredited university
An active member of the New York state bar
3+ years experience as a practicing in-house attorney at a media/production company, merchandise/e-commerce, or relevant law firm experience
Experience with entertainment and digital media transactions including licensing, digital publishing, advertising, content product and content distribution
Strong analytical capabilities and judgment, even when the rules and law are unclear and the issues are of first impression
Excellent drafting, negotiation, and organizational skills
Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Nice to have

Experience with music licensing, rights clearances, and marketing review
Proficiency with Prisma, Boostr, Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe, Google Workspace, DocuSign, Airtable, Slack and Contract Lifecycle Management Systems
Practical command of consumer-product compliance for merch
Comfort operating in fast-cycle, first-of-kind deals and translating risk into clear options for non-lawyers

What we offer

Best in class health, dental, and vision insurance
Healthcare FSA
Dependent Care FSA
Commuter Benefits FSA
Short-term/long-term disability and life insurance
Paid Parental leave
401k with 4% match
Pet Insurance
Legal and Identity Theft Plans
Vacation time and sick days

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Associate Counsel, Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law

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