Senior Counsel

Condé Nast is a global media company producing the highest quality content with a footprint of more than 1 billion consumers in 32 territories through print, digital, video and social platforms. The company’s portfolio includes many of the world’s most respected and influential media properties including Vogue, Vanity Fair, Glamour, Self, GQ, The New Yorker, Condé Nast Traveler/Traveller, Allure, AD, Bon Appétit and Wired, among others.

Job Description

Location:

London, GB

Condé Nast is a global media company, home to iconic brands including Vogue, GQ, Glamour, CN Traveller, Vanity Fair, Wired, The World of Interiors, House & Garden and Tatler, among many others. 

We are headquartered in New York and London and operate in 32 markets worldwide, with a footprint of more than 1 billion consumers across print, digital, video and social platforms.

Condé Nast thrives on collaboration, and our teams come together in the office four days a week (Monday - Thursday).

We value diversity of background, views and cultures. We celebrate people for their personal qualities, skills and contributions, recognising the power our brands have to influence and shape culture.

The Role
Reporting to the VP, Content & Litigation, this position sits within Condé Nast’s Content Legal team, which is part of the wider Business and Legal Affairs (BALA) team, providing expert legal advice to editorial teams and the business on a wide range of media law, policy and IP issues globally.

About Condé Nast’s Business and Legal Affairs team

The Business and Legal Affairs team is led by the General Counsel based in our New York HQ and is comprised of colleagues in London, New York, China, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Mexico, India, Japan, the UAE and Taiwan. We are also supported by a network of outside counsel and work closely with colleagues in Advance Legal who provide legal counsel to Condé Nast and our parent company, Advance Publications.

What will you be doing?

Media Law Advice and Pre-Publication Review

• Advise our global editorial teams on matters relating to content in our markets around the world, with a focus on the UK. 

• Assess and advise on legal risks relating to our content, including defamation, right to privacy, publicity and image rights, copyright, trademarks and AI.  

• Developing appropriate pre-publication review processes, engaging with Editorial stakeholders, Business Affairs, Content Operations and outside counsel. 

• Build strong partnerships with other relevant legal colleagues across our team and the wider Advance group. 

• Lead the creation of materials for, and delivery of, frequent training sessions for editorial teams on defamation, privacy, copyright and trademarks.

Dispute Resolution

• Manage the defence and resolution of media law and IP disputes and litigation.  

• Respond to legal threats relating to our content.  

• Respond to third-party requests for information and subpoenas.

• Support on broader disputes and litigation matters from time to time.

IP Enforcement and Brand Protection 

• Oversee the management of our trademark portfolio and brand protection strategy by more junior in-house legal counsel and outside counsel. 

• Identify ways to improve and streamline the global brand protection strategy and ensure cost effectiveness.

• Support trademark enforcement globally.

• Support copyright enforcement globally, but with a focus on the UK, including occasionally drafting cease and desist correspondence.

• Work with our shareholder, Advance Publications, on a global strategy that aligns with Condé Nast’s business objectives.

People management

• Oversee the day to day work of two legal counsel in the Content legal team.

• Provide mentoring, professional development and legal educational opportunities to all more junior colleagues in BALA.

General

• Work independently, with minimum supervision. 

• Work with a broad range of departments (Editorial, Business Affairs, Events, Content Operations, HR, Sales/Advertising, Licensing, Product, Technology, Business Development, and our shareholder Advance Publications) on content, branding and business matters.

• Manage cross-border projects with ease, involving stakeholders, third parties, and legal experts from different markets to deliver cohesive and centralised legal support.

• Work with colleagues to propose and develop legal solutions, processes, policies and models for new and emerging content types. 

• Develop and maintain an awareness of media and IP regulatory matters, particularly in the UK and EU and use this to advise the business on possible trends that could affect future strategy. 

• Support the development of a best practice approach to IP and Media law so as to ensure efficient and cost effective legal service delivery.

• Work with BALA colleagues to develop a best practice approach to IP and media law matters across the BALA community, working flexibly and collaboratively on issues and areas where individual remits intersect and overlap.

• Engage with outside counsel where appropriate and necessary, with a cost effective approach to managing outside legal spend.

• Proactively network within the IP & Media law community.

About you:

• Legally qualified in the UK. 

• At least 8-10+ PQE of relevant experience. 

• Specialist experience in media law and IP issues, preferably both in-house and at a law firm. Significant experience handling defamation, right to privacy, copyright and trademark issues pre-publication and post-publication, responding to legal demands, and handling active disputes and litigation.

• Excellent and concise written/verbal communication, analytical, interpersonal, organisational, problem-solving and time management skills.

• Demonstrated leadership and project management skills, including a track record of taking ownership of projects and seeing them through to completion with enthusiasm and determination.

• Demonstrated ability to anticipate needs, take initiative without explicit direction, and work independently, seeking guidance when necessary.

• Fluent English speaker. 

• Ability to present legal advice in a pragmatic, problem solving and commercially sensitive fashion.

• Positive "can do" attitude and willingness to work flexibly, given the nature of supporting editorial teams that may require some out of hours work.

• Experience managing junior lawyers is preferred, but not required.

Does this sound like you?

Please upload your CV and cover letter, which highlights why you'd love to take on this role and why you're a great match for what we're looking for.

We value the time and effort behind every application. All submissions are reviewed by a member of our talent team - we don’t use AI-assisted technology to review applications.  

What benefits do we offer? 

• 25 days holiday (plus bank holidays) and extra days of annual leave if you move house or want to volunteer. 

• You’ll have access to a competitive pension scheme, Bupa Private Healthcare, Season ticket loans and eye tests.

• We offer a range of tools to support your wellbeing, including core hours, 10 remote days (from home or a country with a Condé Nast office location), access to our Employee Assistance Programme, corporate gym membership and cycle to work scheme.

• We’re a dog friendly office, plus you’ll enjoy discounts and magazine subscriptions, keeping you up to date with all things Condé Nast.

• We encourage personal and professional growth through the Condé Nast Learning Hub where you’ll find an extensive portfolio of learning courses and training, available in local languages.

• OurEmployee Resource Groups provide a platform for employees to identify shared objectives, exchange ideas, and work on community priorities for our global workforce. 

What happens next?

If you are interested in this opportunity, please apply below, and we will review your application as soon as possible. You can update your resume or upload a cover letter at any time by accessing your candidate profile.

Condé Nast is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, familial status and other legally protected characteristics.