We are looking for a Legal Associate to join our team at Mango Mass Media. The role involves handling legal agreements, content rights management, compliance, and dispute resolution in the fast-paced media and entertainment industry.
Key Responsibilities:
Legal Agreements and Documentation:
- Draft, review, negotiate and finalize complex agreements across content acquisition, licensing (inbound/outbound), syndication, distribution, production, talent, and vendor contracts, aligning each with commercial objectives and risk parameters.
- Ensure all agreements comply with Indian contract law, intellectual property laws, broadcasting and OTT regulations (MIB/TRAI), all applicable laws and internal governance policies.
- Maintain and regularly audit a contract management system to proactively monitor renewals, expirations, obligations, and deliverables.
Content Rights Management:
- Conduct chain-of-title due diligence for content acquisitions, safeguard intellectual property rights, and oversee infringement monitoring, enforcement, and resolution of disputes.
- Ensure end-to-end legal documentation for content rights (acquisition, licensing, assignment) is accurate and enforceable, and lead or support resolution of rights-related disputes through negotiation, mediation, or litigation as required.
Coordination with External Legal Teams:
- Collaborate with legal teams of partner companies to close negotiations, resolve disputes efficiently, and ensure contractual compliance with mutually agreed timelines.
- Coordinate and manage external counsel engagement for case strategy, preparation, filings, and hearings – including budget oversight, defining legal strategy, and translating counsel advice into actionable, business-friendly recommendations for internal stakeholders.
Representation and Advocacy:
- Represent the company, or coordinate representation, in proceedings, arbitrations, and mediations – ensuring timely filings, compliance with procedural requirements, and pursuit of commercially viable outcomes.
- Attend and lead legal discussions with partners, producers, and stakeholders to negotiate final terms, resolve contractual bottlenecks and safeguard company interests.
- Support pre-litigation strategy by drafting and reviewing legal notices, preparing replies, and assessing risk exposure before initiating or responding to litigation.
- Provide management with actionable recommendations on settlement, escalation, or alternative dispute resolution to mitigate legal and commercial risk.
Compliance and Risk Mitigation:
- Monitor and interpret legal developments in intellectual property, broadcasting, OTT/digital media regulations, and data privacy laws; communicate updates to internal stakeholders and adjust policies, templates, and workflows to maintain proactive compliance.
- Assess legal risks and conduct structured risk assessments for key transactions and propose practical, business-oriented mitigation strategies, including contractual protections, indemnities, and escalation protocols.
Policy Development:
- Contribute to the creation and continuous improvement of internal policies governing content rights, privacy, and regulatory compliance – ensuring they reflect current legal requirements and industry best practices.
- Support management in creating policies for safeguarding company intellectual property by standardising contract templates, drafting playbooks, and developing internal SOPs for rights clearance, deal approvals, and dispute escalation, to drive consistency and reduce legal risk.
Qualifications:
Education:
- Bachelor's degree in Law (LLB)/Master's degree in Law (LLM).
- Enrolment with the Bar Council of India preferred.
Experience:
- 0–3 years of post-qualification experience (PQE) with demonstrable exposure to media & entertainment, OTT/digital content, content licensing, or intellectual property law – including independent drafting and negotiation of commercial agreements.
- Hands-on experience with intellectual property rights, agreements, and litigation. Experience with pre-litigation strategy, regulatory compliance, and working with external counsel is highly desirable.
Skills and Competencies:
- Strong understanding of intellectual property laws, contract laws, and compliance regulations with up-to-date knowledge of OTT/digital media regulations, data protection laws (IT Act, DPDP Act), and contract management tools.
- Excellent negotiation, drafting, and analytical skills with a proven ability to balance legal risk against commercial priorities and deadlines.
- Strong interpersonal skills to influence stakeholders, collaborate across content, production, marketing, and finance teams, and drive consensus.
- Strong research skills and attention to detail, with the ability to present clear, actionable advice to business teams.
Additional Requirements:
- Willingness to travel for court appearances and partner meetings as needed.
- High ethical standards and attention to detail with a proactive, solution-oriented approach and ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
- While applications are open to all eligible candidates, preference will be given to those currently based in Hyderabad.
