The Opportunity:
We're seeking a motivated dedicated, and experienced attorney, with first-rate lawyering and practice management skills, to lead our global agency and media deal practice as Director, Agencies and Media.
This position is in our Media, Marketing & Digital transactional practice within the Legal & Business Affairs section of our Law Department. Our Media, Marketing & Digital legal team plays a critical, valued role supporting varied IP-centric transactions for the brand, media, and digital groups, which are responsible for the global marketing of our brands and products.
What Your Impact Will Be:
• Provide thoughtful, strategic, and proactive legal and business advice on a wide range of agency, media, and IP issues.
• Manage a complex deal practice by handling all aspects of a broad range of agency, media, and other IP-based transactions, including agency deals for buying, planning, creative, production, digital, and social.
• Promote work efficiencies and appropriately manage legal exposure by improving existing practices and forms without losing sight of business objectives, risks, and practicalities.
• Identify issues early, and then creatively solve them.
• Identify industry and company-wide trends and build a consensus in managing them effectively on a company-wide basis.
• Cultivate the trust and confidence of executives and other clients.
• Proactively manage expectations of clients, business partners, supervisors, and staff.
• Skillfully juggle constantly changing priorities and sometimes conflicting client objectives, while always looking out for Mattel’s best interests.
What We’re Looking For:
• Substantive Experience:
• Substantial experience structuring, drafting, negotiating, and managing complex, deals with buying, planning, creative, production, digital, and social agencies. Similar experience with other IP-based transactions a big plus (such as marketing, sponsorship, and branded and custom content deals).
• A deep knowledge of business and legal issues that relate to high-dollar, multi-dimensional agency and media deals with sophisticated counterparties.
• Substantive knowledge of digital advertising industry standards and practices, as well as “market” standards for business and legal terms in agency and media deals.
• Knowledge of, and passion to stay current with, advertising industry, tech, and data privacy issues and developments.
• Familiarity with how brands and content can be exploited across a range of media and platforms.
• Track record of: (a) client and service-oriented success; (b) building client, agency, and opposing counsel relationships; and (c) establishing and improving processes in the face of limited internal resources.
• Experience managing staff is a plus.
• Partner to Senior Management. Cultivate the trust and confidence of, and be an effective partner to, executives and other clients.
• Balanced Approach. Provide legal and business advice that’s appropriately risk-balanced. Manage deals with relevant risks and the long-term in mind, but without losing sight of the imperative to advance the business and close deals – often with challenging deadlines and conflicting priorities.
• Strategic Thinker. Provide thoughtful, strategic legal and business advice in managing deals, conflicts, and projects.
• Leadership Ability. Excel, and inspire co-workers and staff to excel, in a culture that fosters and demands accountability, speed, trust, and ethical conduct.
• Issue and Stakeholder Management. Identify issues and relevant stakeholders early – and then creatively solve those issues and work constructively with those stakeholders.
• Curiosity and Growth. Be intellectually curious and eager to grow and develop. Be humble; recognize that you must continue to “learn on the job” and be receptive to constructive feedback; and elevate issues that are beyond your knowledge or comfort zone. Willingness to develop expertise in other areas in order to meet the needs of a dynamic business and evolving Law Department.
• Engaged Practice Management. Proactively manage, deals, issues, and administrative functions across far-flung zones and multiple sub-practice areas. Skillfully juggle constantly changing priorities and sometimes conflicting objectives.
• Excellent Work Product and Work Ethic. Write and present in a concise, lucid manner – in emails, letters, contracts, and presentations. Ability and desire to work and thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Great Attitude. Maintain a professional demeanor, in writing and in person, with clients, support staff, management, outside counsel, and business partners. A sense of humor is a plus.
• Education and Professional Experience:
• JD from an accredited law school and strong academic credentials.
• At least 7+ years of experience as an agency/media transactional attorney, with an emphasis on agency and media transactions, including law firm experience with a nationally recognized law firm.
• In-house experience strongly preferred and litigation experience a big plus.
• Bar Admission in California strongly preferred.
