Head of Legal, Acamar Films
Maternity Cover
Independent creative studio
Be an early applicant
Independent creative studio
21-100 employees
Be an early applicant
21-100 employees
Company mission
To move and delight audiences worldwide.
Role
Who you are
- Our ideal candidate will be an entrepreneurial, commercially and strategically minded UK qualified Lawyer. They will need to have proven deal making authority and gravitas within all negotiations, backed up with a meticulous eye for detail, sound judgement and a deep practical understanding of the current legal landscape and future legislative changes relevant to the business
- Most importantly, the most qualified candidate will be strongly aligned with Acamar core values, which include: Collaboration, creativity, curiosity, courage, diversity, kindness, leadership and integrity
- Experience would ideally include in-house legal and business affairs exposure in a UK TV production environment, or relevant media experience within a reputable law firm. Legal experience within a quickly expanding global start up would be advantageous
- Proven Board level negotiation skills, and an experienced and effective negotiator with a track record of agreeing deals in a timely and cost-effective manner
- A structured thinker and leader with a robust approach to creative decisions
- Qualified Lawyer with at least 6 years PQE
- In-house and/or media experience (specifically in TV licensing, VOD and digital platforms deals), an advantage
- Team player who is willing to support others whilst managing a variety of matters
- Versatile commercially-minded lawyer
- Excellent drafting skills with meticulous attention to detail; taking instructions on a wide variety of contracts and producing working drafts (both with and without reliance on precedent) to meet business requirements
- Experience in IP, media sales, broadcasting, licensing and digital law with a broad understanding of commercial law. Corporate law experience would be an advantage
- Experience in commercial environments is imperative, with a natural aptitude for the interactivity between the creative, commercial, production and corporate worlds
- Experience working internationally on a multinational, cross jurisdictional basis
- An excellent communicator who can develop and maintain effective internal and external relationships
- Ability to work proactively, independently and reliably under tight time frames in a fast‐paced environment
- First class presentation and influencing skills
- Uncompromising energy and drive
- Unafraid to challenge the status quo
- Solutions-orientated, able to translate intricate deals for non-legal teams
- Has emotional intelligence and professionalism and is genuinely communicative and dynamic, entrepreneurial and strategic
- Is highly organised and efficient - presents clearly and gets to the point
- Autonomous and readily assumes responsibility - is self-motivated, a starter-finisher, with persistence
- Enjoys solving commercial and corporate problems - learns quickly and has clarity of thought
- Most importantly, the best qualified candidate will be strongly aligned with Acamar’s Core values, which include: Collaboration, creativity, honesty, diversity, inclusion and kindness
What the job involves
- The Head of Legal will act as our legal principal in all deal making across a broad range of legal matters including UK and international broadcasting agreements, streaming and VOD licences, talent and other production agreements, merchandising and brand licensing, and general procurement and corporate work (including commercial leases and IT licences)
- This role will sit on our Executive Management team and report to our CFO. This is a fixed term role, for a maximum period of 12 months
- Responsible for all legal and compliance aspects of Acamar’s business
- Work with the CEO, CFO, Executive Director of Global Licensing and the Executive Director of Sales & Distribution to formulate the best deal terms for key revenue generating agreements, including national and international linear broadcasting, streaming and VOD deals
- Actively participate in business strategy meetings
- Manage all commercial agreements (draft, review, negotiate and complete) with the support of the business
- Ensure first class business processes are adopted for contract generation and Rights Management and ensure Acamar’s legal templates are up to date and fit for purpose, and provide training to internal teams and third party partners as required
- Provide advice and support to the business in relation to applicable laws (in particular relating to intellectual property, data protection, competition law and ethics)
- Ensure that trademark protection and counterfeit policies/processes are robust and effective to protect IP both within the UK and in advance of International expansion
- Provide expertise and opinion to Acamar’s Senior Management Team and Board of Directors in relation to key legal issues affecting the business as and when they arise
- Work collaboratively across the entire company to gain a deep understanding of creative and commercial drivers, and develop a 360 degree view of Acamar’s business and structure to ensure all legal documents align with our strategy for growth
- Provide solutions-based advice to the business, in a practical and commercially focused way on all relevant compliance and legal matters
- Provide legal support for shared services such as HR, Operations and Corporate Finance
Salary benchmarks
Our take
Founded in 2005, Acamar Films is a London-based independent creative studio producing entertainment that serves the needs of young children, including the Emmy-winning international hit, ‘Bing’.
The reputation of Acamar’s team speaks for itself, led by Mikael Shields, known for identifying, developing and producing successful animated franchises, including the Oscar-winning, ‘Wallace & Gromit’, and Bafta-nominated 'Pingu'. The company is internationally renowned following a partnership with Prime Video, as ‘Bing’ can now be consumed in 130 territories worldwide, and is shown in USA and Canada following its partnering with Spotlight Licensing.
After recent funding, led by Wealth Club, and hiring of a new Director of Communications, Acamar are investing efforts and money into introducing ‘Bing’ to a greater number of audiences across new markets, including Japan and China.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
Company
Company HQ
Camden Town, London, UK
Leadership
Mikael Shields
(CEO)Previously served as CEO for Ealing Family Entertainment and Pearson Television. Experience as Managing Director for Atom Films, Atomshockwave.com, EVA Entertainment, and Head of Business Development for BBC Children's International.
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