Associate Commercial Counsel

WHY DEPT®?

We are pioneers at heart. What this means, is that we are always leaning forward, thinking of what we can create tomorrow that does not exist today. We were born digital and we are a new model of agency, with a deep skillset in tech and marketing. That’s why we hire curious, self-driven, talented people who never stop innovating.

Our culture is big enough to cope and small enough to care. Meaning, that with people across 20+ countries, we’re big enough to provide you with the best tools, global opportunities, and benefits that help you thrive. While acting small by investing in you, your growth, your team, and giving you the autonomy to solve our clients' problems, no matter where you are in the world. 

We are currently only hiring in specific location in the United States. Locations, office requirements, and salary bands are outlined below. Please note that we do not offer relocation at this time.

THE ROLE:

We’re looking for someone who views contracts as the key to building successful relationships and growing a business and is excited to optimize all contract-related processes. Our Associate Commercial Counsel will assist with both customer and vendor contractual matters for the DEPT® United States region and will provide the company with legal advice on business agreements. This role requires an individual with personal confidence, strong collaboration and communication skills, operational and organizational skills, creative thinking, and legal acumen. We prefer you have an understanding of digital services and technology development and we’re happy to teach you the specifics of our business if you have a strong business-minded approach to how you practice law.  In addition, the role will require sound judgment and decision making, sometimes with limited information and tight timeframes. 

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Drafting, Reviewing, and Negotiating Contracts
  • Draft, review, and redline agreements—including MSAs, SOWs, NDAs, DPAs, vendor, consulting, production, and talent agreements.
  • Negotiate agreements with counterparties (both clients and vendors) and effectively representing the company.
• Contract Management and Compliance
  • Oversee contract compliance with established company processes and policies.
  • Continuously support the refinement and improvement of DEPT®’s contract templates to reflect current business and legal considerations.
  • Monitor changes in applicable laws, regulations, and best practices relevant to DEPT®’s operations.
• Risk Management and Dispute Handling
  • Collaborate with the DEPT® Legal team to address commercial disputes and issues, providing risk assessments and recommending solutions.
  • Advise company management at all levels on legal matters, ensuring timely and actionable guidance.
• Process Improvement and Relationship Building
  • Identify process gaps and propose creative solutions in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
  • Cultivate strong working relationships with business teams to better tailor our contracts.
  • Coordinate with external experts (e.g., subject matter counsel) where required.
• Professional Development and Knowledge Sharing
  • Stay up to date on industry standards, emerging legal trends, and technologies (including AI-driven tools).
  • Share insights and expertise with Legal team members, fostering a culture of continuous learning.

WHAT YOU BRING:

• Juris Doctor and bar membership in good standing in at least one U.S. state.
• 2+ years of previous transactional contract experience, including redlining, negotiation, and contract management. In house experience and litigation experience is a plus.
• Strong organizational, traffic management, and operational skills.
• Ability to move quickly yet efficiently to protect risk while maximizing turn-around time.
• Knowledge of applicable statutes, rules, and regulations pertaining to DEPT®’s business and its states/countries of operation.
• A high level of complex problem-solving, critical thinking, and information analysis skills are essential for this role.
• Experience with creative production contracts (music licensing, talent agreements, video production agreements) a plus.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• The ability to encourage and build mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among all DEPT® team members that we interact with.
• Strong focus on treating everyone at DEPT® as a client, and treating DEPT®’s clients with respect and a win-win problem solving demeanor.
• Ability to predict and prevent legal issues and risks.
• Effectively represent the organization as a