The Athletic

VP, Legal

The Athletic$230K — $260K *
Legal & Accounting
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • J.D. degree and member in good standing of the New York bar or equivalent.
  • Over 10 years of relevant legal experience, particularly in product counseling and intellectual property.
  • Proven track record in advising diverse teams through complex legal matters.
  • Demonstrated leadership in managing teams and navigating high-pressure situations.
  • Strong analytical skills to simplify complex legal issues and recommend actionable solutions.
  • Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities.
  • Experience in generative AI and compliance issues related to AI.

Responsibilities

  • Serve as a senior legal leader for The Athletic, assessing risks across legal matters and making executive recommendations.
  • Support The Athletic's digital product teams, ensuring compliance while balancing legal requirements with business goals.
  • Act as the primary legal advisor for AI-related issues within product development, aligning strategies with company objectives.
  • Coordinate with leadership on key legal and regulatory matters, driving special projects and efficiency improvements.
  • Collaborate with legal and technical experts to provide clear guidance on legal matters affecting company strategy.
  • Oversee commercial transactions and manage the legal support team for The Athletic's business operations.
  • Monitor legal changes and market trends, advising clients proactively as needed.

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision benefits.
  • Flexible Spending Accounts (F.S.A.s).
  • Company-matching 401(k) plan.
  • Paid vacation and sick days.
  • Paid parental leave.
  • Tuition reimbursement and professional development programs.
Full Job Description
About This Role

The Vice President role requires an experienced attorney who will act as a deputy for the General Counsel of The Athletic, provide expert legal and business-forward counsel and manage a team that includes a transactional lawyer and a legal professional. This is a hybrid role based in New York City, reporting to the General Counsel for The Athletic and supporting The Athletic's leadership team while working alongside members of The New York Times Company legal team.

Responsibilities

  • Serve as a senior legal leader for The Athletic, assessing risk on a broad range of business and legal matters, making executive recommendations and driving matters to resolution, escalating to the General Counsel as appropriate.
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  • Provide legal support to The Athletic's digital product organization, including teams across product, design, data and engineering, on compliance with laws, assessing issues and crafting risk-based solutions that balance legal requirements with business objectives.
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  • Act as the primary legal partner for the product development team on AI and generative AI legal issues offering risk mitigation strategies across multiple jurisdictions, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to align technology use with company strategy.
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  • Work closely with The Athletic leadership in coordinating and advising on major legal and regulatory matters, handling special projects and initiatives, developing and implementing team operations and budgeting improvements, identifying efficiency opportunities, helping coordinate on compliance activities, policy development, risk assessment processes and training programs.
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  • Collaborate with subject matter experts across technical and non-technical teams, New York Times Company lawyers and stakeholders to consolidate multiple legal and business considerations into clear guidance in service of company strategy and product goals.
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  • Provide oversight on commercial transactions and directly manage the team that provides commercial legal support and legal operations for The Athletic's business.
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  • Stay informed about legal decisions, statutory changes, and market and industry trends, and, in coordination with the team, advise clients and recommend proactive action when necessary.
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Requirements

  • Undergraduate and J.D. degrees, and a member of good standing of the New York bar or the equivalent.
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  • 10+ years of relevant work experience that includes experience with product counseling and the handling of a broad range of intellectual property, technology, data privacy and commercial transactions, with increasing levels of responsibility.
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  • Experience advising product and other teams through complex matters, with diverse stakeholders and competing interests.
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  • Experience managing a team and achieving results in a high pressure environment.
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  • Ability to contribute to discussions of general business issues, to work well with a wide range of clients from senior management to operating personnel, and to work independently as well as to lead a project from conception to completion.
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  • Ability to analyze complex legal material and communicate implications in clear and simple language, along with a clear recommendation for an appropriate course of action.
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  • Strong organizational skills and ability to balance competing demands.
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  • Experience in generative AI and AI counseling and compliance
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Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience acting as a member of a senior leadership team
  • Experience working on a fast-paced in-house legal team
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  • Experience advising engineering, design or other technical teams
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  • Experience in news, media and/or journalism
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The annual base salary range for this role is $230,000 - $260,000 USD. The total compensation offered for this position may vary based on factors such as education, experience, skills, and location.

For roles in the U.S., dependent on your role, you may be eligible for variable pay, such as an annual bonus and restricted stock. Benefits may include medical, dental and vision benefits, Flexible Spending Accounts (F.S.A.s), a company-matching 401(k) plan, paid vacation, paid sick days, paid parental leave, tuition reimbursement and professional development programs.

For roles outside of the U.S., information on benefits will be provided during the interview process.

About The Athletic

The Athletic is a subscription-based sports media company that provides ad-free coverage of various sports leagues and teams. The company was founded in 2016 by Alex Mather and Adam Hansmann, and has since expanded to cover over 250 professional and college sports teams across North America and Europe. The Athletic has received several awards for its journalism, including the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting. The company has raised over $139 million in funding from investors such as Founders Fund, Bedrock Capital, and Comcast Ventures.
Learn more about The Athletic
Size
450 employees
Industry
Founded
2015

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