Samba TV tracks streaming and broadcast video across the world with our proprietary data and technology. We are on a mission to fundamentally transform the viewing experience for everyone. Our data enables media companies to connect with audiences for new shows and movies, and enables advertisers to engage viewers and measure reach across all their devices. We have an amazing story with a unique perspective on culture formed by a global footprint of data and AI-driven insights
As our General Counsel we expect this individual to uphold our Company values for Determination, Intellectual Honesty, Curiosity, Humility and Results, and to go beyond with strong academic credentials, deep technology-industry experience and sophisticated understanding of legal and policy matters – as it relates to corporate governance, data privacy, intellectual property, employment laws, licensing agreements, fundraising, and M&A.
Reporting to the CEO, it will be within the scope of this position to help deliberate and provide guidance across a spectrum of legal disciplines, providing first class legal support to the Samba TV Board of Directors, executive team and operating units. The successful candidate will have ownership and responsibility for commercial contracts, data privacy compliance, M&A, IPOs, patent, trademark, copyright, technology licensing, and open source, as well as for litigation and disputes, HR and employment matters, taxes, and international expansions.
The General Counsel is also responsible for governance, managing Board Meetings and approvals, compliance, government relations, managing relationships with external law firms, managing a legal budget, driving operational excellence as it relates to processing legal approvals and significant business decisions, establishing effective communication within the legal team and across departments, and participating as a member of the executive leadership team. Additionally, our GC works hard, travels extensively, across US and international business units to resolve complex business issues. The General Counsel is tasked with establishing the legal budget, with an emphasis on frugality, providing professional development, and acting as an advisor to team members.
The critical competencies for success include being an experienced leader with a strong business background, experience with privacy laws, government relations and negotiating with regulators at the state, national or international level, aligning the legal team with business objectives, and creating a positive working environment. The General Counsel should also possess team-building and decision-making skills, work collaboratively with internal and external attorneys, and be open to learning from others. The ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, handle ambiguity, and provide effective legal support quickly and cost-effectively is crucial.
About You:
- Possess a JD from a reputable US law school
- Admitted to practice law in the United States and eligible to practice law in-house
- 10+ years as a practicing lawyer both within a top-tier law firm and as in-house counsel
- Technology industry experience, ideally at the growth stage (pre-IPO)
- Dispute resolution and litigation experience
- Outstanding written and oral communication skills
- Outstanding organizational and project management skills
- An intuition to anticipate the needs of the business, knowing when it makes to be rigorous or light in review process
- Demonstrated ability to balance business needs with risk mitigation, with a bias to speed and risk tolerance – at our stage, we play more offense than defense
- Demonstrated expertise in corporate and business development activities
- Track record of proactively and building and maintaining productive relationships with business and corporate functional leaders at all levels
- An individual of unquestioned ethics and integrity, and a reputation of building business and shareholder value – please flag any history of disputes
- Strong business acumen – know how financial models work
- Good negotiator – instinct to find win-win solutions
- Extensive experience negotiating with opposing counsel and working with internal stakeholders to close deals and further the company’s interests
- Foundational technical knowledge, ideally with exposure to internet advertising and data flows
- Working of knowledge of data privacy laws, regulations, and issues (GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, privacy-by-design)
Other Requirements:
- Experience in start-ups, high-growth organizations
- Experience working with Boards of Directors, and a strong understanding of corporate governance frameworks
- A reputation for being a thoughtful coach and consigliere to business leaders within the organization
- A strong orientation toward making decisions that will benefit the business as a whole, rather than optimizing resources solely for his or her own team
- Crazy high energy, intensity, work ethic – a very productive and effective individual
- Professional References are a must have, please have these ready
*The successful candidate should hold a law degree from an accredited law school and be a member of a US State Bar (New York or California) will be required, either via admission to the Bar or via registration with the Bar as “Registered In-House Counsel.”
Requisition #1189
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Samba TV is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We strive to empower connection with one another, reflect the communities we serve, and tackle meaningful projects that make a real impact.
Samba TV may collect personal information directly from you, as a job applicant, Samba TV may also receive personal information from third parties, for example, in connection with a background, employment or reference check, in accordance with the applicable law. For further details, please see Samba's Applicant Privacy Policy. For residents of the EU , Samba Inc. is the data controller.
What We Do
Television remains a vibrant cultural influence and an essential source of entertainment and information worldwide. Tremendous growth in content choices, and viewing platforms that allow us to watch anything, anytime, on any screen, has actually made it harder for viewers to discover and keep up with all the great programming available. It’s also more competitive for content providers to keep your attention, and for marketers to make strong, measurable connections with their target consumers.
Technology that improves the viewing experience, enables content discovery, and addresses audience fragmentation across screens will strengthen television’s business model and relevance to consumers. Data is at the center of any solution to make TV better.
Samba TV's technology is built into Smart TVs and easily maps to smart phones and tablets. By recognizing what's on screen, Samba TV learns what viewers like and using machine learning algorithms, enables discovery of shows and actors in a whole new way. Likewise, our data and measurement products are transforming the way stakeholders across the media landscape are thinking about their business. Given the dramatic growth in streaming services, connected devices, time-shifting, and multi-screen viewership, our data products solve real problems and create a meaningful competitive advantage for our clients.