General Counsel

General Counsel, Fortune Media

New York, NY

Fortune Media is seeking a General Counsel to lead its in-house Legal team, handling and providing essential guidance on the most important and sensitive legal matters affecting the company, including First Amendment law, data and privacy, company strategy, corporate governance, agreements and transactions, regulatory compliance, contracts, employment and union issues, and more.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on legal professional, problem-solver and team player, with extensive experience in media and/or related industries (e.g., publishing, advertising, data, subscriptions, etc.), and expertise in editorial content, FTC/advertising, marketing, and a wide range of legal contracts. 

The General Counsel reports to the Chief Executive Officer. He or she manages a small team and coordinates with outside counsel on specific matters as needed, on both a one-off and an ongoing basis.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the legal department to drive a culture of excellence, collaboration, and innovation, and to collaborate with other departments to mitigate legal risk efficiently and effectively avoid and resolve legal concerns.

• Advise senior management on a wide range of legal matters that impact the company, including corporate governance, compliance, risk management, privacy, employment, media law, and business transactions.

• Ensure the company complies with all applicable laws, regulations, rules and guidelines in its US and international business activities.

• Support the Editorial group in advising on editorial guidelines and policies, vetting stories, assisting on FOIA requests, and counseling on defamation, right of publicity, IP, and other First Amendment issues.       

• Manage, protect and enhance the company’s IP assets.    

• Draft, review, advise on, and negotiate a wide variety of commercial contracts including master services agreements, content distribution and licenses, ad tech, advertising, marketing, data licenses, software as a service (SaaS), technology, data preprocessing, employment, event sponsorship and related contracts, etc.

• Provide legal counsel on the company’s Guild (labor union) negotiations.

• Oversee the company’s privacy and employment practices and compliance.

• Develop and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

• Procure and manage outside counsel in an effective and cost-efficient manner.  
• Manage litigation and dispute resolution, coordinating with external counsel as necessary.

Qualifications:

• 20+ years of relevant legal experience as corporate counsel, either in-house or at a top-tier law firm.

• Demonstrated ability to manage a successful legal team and oversee the provision of legal services in-house.   

• Extensive media or related industry knowledge and experience.

• Excellent leadership, communication, interpersonal and legal drafting skills.

• Sound judgment in evaluating options and making informed decisions including, as they impact legal strategies, risk management and compliance.

• Uphold ethical standards and acting in the best interests of the company and its owner.

• Outstanding communication skills to clearly and effectively advise executives and other employees, and work with external parties.

• Ability to align legal strategies and business goals and anticipate challenges and proactively address them.

• Strong problem-solving skills in finding practical solutions to business and legal concerns.

• Capable of using creative approaches to reduce outside legal spend and improve efficiencies.

• Conduct fact-finding investigations in connection with legal and compliance matters.

• JD from an ABA accredited law school, admitted to the New York State Bar (in good standing).

Location: This role is based out of our New York City headquarters in the U.S. Currently, employees based within commuting distance of one of our offices have a minimum of 3 days/week in the office, subject to change.

Fortune’s perks and benefits include:

• 22 vacation days, 11 paid holidays and an honor-based sick leave policy 

• Health, dental, and vision, coverage (90% paid for individuals and families), plus a high-deductible health plan option where Fortune contributes to a Health Savings Account (HSA) and a mental-health benefit 

• 401(k) plan 

• Generous parental leave 

• Dependent care/health care/commuter FSAs, and cell phone benefits 

• Tuition reimbursement program and other professional development resources 

• An array of cultural initiatives including Employee Resource Groups and a mentorship program 

• A commitment to an open, inclusive, and diverse work culture 

Salary range: $315-385K total compensation (inclusive of a $225-275K base + 40% bonus). This range is a good-faith estimate and may ultimately vary based on a number of relevant factors.