Associate Counsel

WELCOME TO HARTBEAT. WE ARE COMEDY. WE ARE CULTURE.

Founded by Kevin Hart, HARTBEAT is the global, multi-platform media company creating entertainment at the intersection of comedy and culture with a mission to keep the world laughing together. HARTBEAT delivers comedy through its three divisions: HARTBEAT Studios, which finances, develops and produces innovative content; HARTBEAT Media, which connects with consumers around the world through events and the company’s expansive distribution network; and PULSE, the company’s branded entertainment studio that serves as a creative and cultural consultancy to brand. HARTBEAT’s flagship consumer brand, the LOL! Network, reaches audiences across its O&O social media, audio, and OTT partners. Led by an award-winning team, HARTBEAT is a valuable partner to the biggest entertainment companies, platforms and brands in the world, driving cultural currency and generating sales, subscriptions, buzz, and conversation with some of the most coveted audiences.

THE ROLE:

Hartbeat is seeking a dynamic and experienced Associate Counsel to join our Business & Legal Affairs team. This is a brand-new role in a collaborative, growing department, so the work is broad and there is a lot of room to grow. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in providing legal support across various facets of our business, including film, television, podcasts, distribution, marketing, brand partnerships and branded content, live events and more. As an Associate Counsel, you will work closely with internal teams to ensure legal compliance, protect the company's interests, and contribute to the overall success of our diverse media and entertainment ventures. This position will co-report directly to our two Senior Counsel, Business & Legal Affairs.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

General

• Under the supervision of our two Senior Counsel, structure, negotiate and draft deal memos and longform agreements for a variety of commercial deals across our content studio, distribution, live event, marketing and brand partnership business divisions (e.g., production services agreements, acquisition agreements, license agreements including domestic and international distribution agreements, first-look deals, overall deals, co-pro agreements, shopping and attachment agreements, above-the-line development and production deals for writers, showrunners, producers, directors, casting directors and talent, media buy insertion orders, brand-funded custom content agreements, ad placement/platform agreements, SVOD platform license agreements for FAST channels, live event agreements, etc.).
• Draft and update various contract templates for use by the Business & Legal Affairs team.
• Assist Senior Counsel and General Counsel with managing certain corporate matters including drafting basic corporate organizational documents, researching corporate governance requirements and conducting diligence on potential acquisition targets.
• Assist the HR team with certain employment-related matters.
• Draft and negotiate commercial agreements related to office facilities including equipment leases, service agreements, vendor agreements, etc.
• Proactively assist the legal and business teams to develop and implement improvements to contract processes.
• Help manage and maintain Hartbeat’s trademark portfolio
• Handling all other related matters as needed at the direction of the General Counsel and/or Senior Counsel

Production Legal

• Provide timely, solutions-oriented advice on a wide range of issues related to active productions, including material deal terms, intellectual property rights, availability/restrictions of use of certain materials, privacy, music, clearances, guild/union and labor issues, insurance, credits and delivery.
• Oversee, streamline and liaise on all production legal matters.
• Advise on all legal aspects of content creation, including rights clearances, defamation, and privacy issues.

Deal and Workflow Management

• Keep up-to-date document and email records via the department’s document management system and assist with tracking of deal flow; familiarity and competency on tracking software such as Airtable, LegalTracker, and NetDocuments preferred.
• Create deal summaries and rights reports for various agreements and projects for different stakeholders.
• Assist with implementation of new rights management system.

EXPERIENCE & SKILLS:

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school with strong academic credentials and admission to the bar in California.
• 3-5 years of substantial, relevant transactional experience with a focus on media and entertainment law; a combination of corporate law experience from a large law firm and entertainment experience in-house or at an entertainment law firm preferred.
• Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills.
• Familiarity with intellectual property law, including trademarks and copyrights.
• Empathy, adaptability, resilience and collaborative mindset demonstrated through prior experiences.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to interface with colleagues, agents, managers and talent lawyers.
• Ability to juggle, multi-task and prioritize a high volume of deals and deadlines in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Extremely organized and detail oriented with the ability to manage confidential and sensitive material with discretion.
• Willingness to take ownership and control of complex projects and to work cross functionally across multiple divisions.
• Flexibility and willingness to grow and adjust as the company grows.
• Entrepreneurial spirit and exceptional judgment.
• Creative problem-solving capabilities.
• High proficiency with Outlook, Word (Advanced), Excel (Advanced), PowerPoint, and DocuSign.
• Must be 18 years or older and willing to submit to a reference check and must have unrestricted work authorization to work in the United States.

WORK HARD, LAUGH HARDER

Look, it’s called work for a reason. We show up for our teammates, our partners, and our audience. We’re a high-energy culture, where EVERYONE IS A HEADLINER, expected to give their best performance. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun, meaningful, and inspiring. Because if you’re not having fun at work, you’re missing a good time!

So, if you hate fun, never like to laugh, and hardly ever smile, we have the job for you – somewhere else. But if you believe in a culture of creativity, entrepreneurialism, inclusion, hustle, and heart – while prioritizing fun and funny – you belong here.

Must be 18 years or older and willing to submit to a reference check and must have unrestricted work authorization to work in the United States.

BENEFITS

We got you! Hartbeat provides eligible employees competitive benefits, including: Medical, dental and vision insurance, life and disability insurance, paid vacation and holiday pay and generous family leave policies. We also offer 401(k) retirement savings plan, flexible spending account and an unlimited supply of laughs on company time (aftershock giggles may spill into personal time) and more!

COMPENSATION

Actual compensation within the pay range will be decided based on factors including, but not limited to, skills, prior relevant experience, and work location. In addition to the base salary, the compensation package for this role also includes a discretionary bonus, based on individual and company performance.

Hartbeat offers a comprehensive benefits package for full-time employees, that include healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan including an employer match, family planning, paid time off, paid parental leave, several paid holidays, and more.

NOTICES

We take this seriously. Hartbeat provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law. As an equal opportunity employer, Hartbeat will provide reasonable accommodations as required by applicable federal, state, and/or local laws.