Senior Counsel, Legal & Business Affairs

Hybrid Work Model

#LI-hybrid

Job Summary:

SEGA of America is seeking an experienced, business-minded Senior Counsel to join its Legal & Business Affairs team. This role provides strategic legal guidance across complex commercial agreements, marketing initiatives, and regulatory compliance.

As a trusted advisor to business leaders, the Senior Counsel independently manages a wide range of legal matters supporting SEGA’s business development activities, IP licensing, marketing activations, technology transactions, and vendor services relationships. The ideal candidate is collaborative, adaptable, and adept at balancing legal risk with business objectives.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Draft, negotiate, and provide strategic legal guidance on complex agreements relating to SEGA’s business, including business development, brand partnerships, video game development and distribution, vendor procurement, talent and influencer engagements, SaaS and technology services, DPA, and ad monetization.
• Serve as a trusted legal advisor to business leaders, independently managing legal matters and transactions from inception through execution while balancing legal risk and business objectives.
• Lead legal reviews and provide guidance on marketing compliance and clearance matters, including advertising and promotional campaigns, sweepstakes and contests, CRM initiatives, trailers, PR activities, and other consumer-facing activations; draft terms and conditions and advise on IP rights, consents, and clearance requirements.
• Advise stakeholders and senior leadership on compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and evolving legal requirements affecting SEGA’s business.
• Support legal operations initiatives, including the development and enhancement of legal processes, workflows, and technologies to improve efficiency, consistency, and risk management.
• Collaborate with the Privacy Director and legal teams across SEGA affiliates as needed to ensure consistent legal guidance, practices, and alignment on cross-functional initiatives.
• Manage relationships with outside counsel engaged by the organization to advise in specialized areas.
• Other responsibilities are performed as assigned or needed. 

Qualifications and Skills:

• Working in-office is an essential function of this position. This requirement of face-to-face interaction is in place to ensure effective supervision, collaboration, and teamwork.  In-office attendance is required for the following reasons:
  • For effective supervision of employees and our work product, which includes ensuring all employees have necessary oversight of their work and access to supervisory assistance, which includes meetings to review work product, deadlines, and status.
  • To foster communication and collaboration among team members, which includes the following: allowing for spontaneous brainstorming sessions and exchanges of ideas, quick access to team members to enable collaborative problem-solving, and stronger cohesion among co-workers and within teams.
  • To enhance the sharing of information necessary to effective job performance and product creation. \
  • To enhance understanding of our stakeholders’ work and business needs, facilitate a more seamless and organic workflow, and ultimately increase efficiency and successful outcomes. 
• JD degree from an ABA-accredited law school.
• A member in good standing of any state bar and eligible for registration as in-house counsel in California.
• 8+ years of experience as an attorney, preferably with extensive commercial contract negotiation experience and experience working closely with business development, partnerships, other business teams and senior executives.
• Ability to independently provide practical, business-oriented legal advice and recommendations on complex legal and business matters.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to independently manage a varied and complex workload, prioritize effectively, assess legal and business risks, and provide practical, business-oriented legal advice in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong judgment, communication, collaboration, negotiation, and leadership skills.
• Experience working in an international or cross-border organization preferred.