General Counsel

The Associated Press seeks a General Counsel to work from its NYC headquarters. This position reports directly to the president and CEO.

The General Counsel will lead corporate strategic and tactical legal initiatives worldwide. The incumbent will also provide senior management with effective advice on company strategies and their implementation, manage the legal function, and obtain and oversee the work of all outside counsel providers, and will hold the role of secretary to the AP Board of Directors. The General Counsel will be directly involved in complex business transactions in negotiating critical contracts.

PRIMARY DUTES:

Participate in the definition and development of corporate policies, procedures and programs and provide continuing counsel and guidance on legal matters and implications.

Serve as key lawyer/legal advisor on all major business transactions, including acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures.

Judge the merits of major court cases filed against or on behalf of the company, work with the appropriate executive(s) to define a strategic defense and approve settlements of disputes where warranted.

Assume ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the Associated Press conducts its business in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, with specific focus on intellectual property, commercial transactions, privacy, antitrust and regulatory compliance.

The General Counsel is the corporate secretary for the Associated Press, and as such will work closely with the Board of Directors, the CEO and senior officers, providing information on board best practices and tailoring the board’s governance framework to fit the needs of the company and its directors, and the expectations of members.

Structure and manage the company’s internal legal function and staff, both in the US and in London.

Select, retain, manage and evaluate all outside counsel, worldwide.

Advise on legal aspects of the company’s financing, including assessing and advising on current and future business structures and legal entities.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

J.D. from an accredited law school;

Licensed to practice and in good standing with any state bar and authorized to practice in New York;

Minimum ten years of experience as a practicing lawyer, preferably in media law, with some litigation experience, initially with a national law firm before moving to an in-house position;

Broad overview experience in intellectual property law including patent law, licensing of IP rights, and IP due diligence preferred;

Experience in directing strategy and managing complex IP litigation cases is a must;

Exposure to and/or familiarity with the following areas of law: first amendment, antitrust, information technology law and privacy, joint venture structures;

Experience working on matters of corporate governance and with a board of directors is required;

Proven track record for cultivating strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders;

Experience managing other attorneys and supervising support staff in a corporation is required as well as experience with cost effective management of outside legal resources;

Advanced-level professional competency in written and spoken English language is required;

Authorization to work in the United States for any employer is mandatory.

The Associated Press is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.