Commercial Counsel, Business Affairs

NVE is a brand experience and production agency dedicated to building ideas rooted in culture and guided by the principle that ‘The Right Moment Will Transform Someone Forever.’ NVE’s team of creatives, strategists and producers develop insight-driven ideas rooted in culture to convert consumer attention into commitment, action, and brand loyalty.

Summary of Position:

NVE is seeking an experienced, commercially minded licensed attorney or business affairs professional to lead the company’s day-to-day Business Affairs and contracting function. The scope of responsibilities will be aligned with the selected candidate’s qualifications and professional licensure.

This role will independently manage a high volume of commercial agreements while providing legal guidance on contract negotiations, risk management and related legal matters across NVE's experiential marketing, creative, production and strategic partnership business.

The ideal candidate combines strong legal expertise with practical business judgment, excellent communication and exceptional project management skills. We are seeking a solutions-oriented attorney who can efficiently close routine agreements without unnecessarily complicating negotiations.

Role Priorities:

Commercial Contracting & Negotiation

• Independently draft, review, redline, negotiate and finalize vendor MSAs, client MSAs, SOWs, NDAs, independent contractor agreements, talent agreements, venue agreements, sponsorship agreements and other commercial contracts.
• Provide substantive legal guidance on indemnification, liability, insurance, intellectual property, confidentiality, termination and contractual risk allocation.
• Negotiate nonstandard provisions and complex contractual arrangements.
• Support client-side contracting, including MSAs, SOWs, RFP terms and related negotiations.
• Advise internal stakeholders on practical approaches to managing contractual risk while achieving business objectives.

Legal Oversight & Risk Management

• Identify and evaluate contractual legal risks and recommend appropriate solutions.
• Develop, review and maintain legal templates, fallback provisions, negotiation playbooks and standard contractual positions.
• Provide legal guidance on commercial, production, talent, licensing and intellectual property matters within the attorney's expertise.
• Coordinate specialized outside counsel when matters require additional subject-matter or jurisdictional expertise.
• Escalate significant business risk, unusual financial exposure or strategically sensitive decisions to leadership.

Business Affairs Operations

• Own contract intake, prioritization, review, negotiation, tracking and execution.
• Serve as the primary Business Affairs contact for internal teams.
• Provide clear, concise and actionable legal guidance and proactive status updates.
• Manage competing deadlines and high-volume contracting needs independently.
• Collaborate with Operations and Finance to improve contracting and onboarding processes.
• Support the implementation of AI-assisted contract review, automation and scalable legal workflows.
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes and reduce reliance on outside counsel

Qualifications:

• Licensed attorney: Juris Doctor from an accredited law school, active bar membership in good standing, appropriate authorization to practice in the relevant jurisdiction, and 4–8+ years of relevant commercial legal or transactional experience.
• Or Business Affairs professional: 6–10+ years of direct experience managing and negotiating commercial agreements in a Business Affairs or commercial contracting role, with demonstrated judgment in identifying matters requiring legal review and partnering with counsel.
• Significant experience drafting and negotiating commercial agreements.
• Strong knowledge of commercial contract law, contractual risk allocation, intellectual property and related legal considerations.
• Excellent commercial judgment with an ability to provide practical, business-oriented legal advice.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong project management capabilities and experience managing a substantial volume of concurrent matters.
• Ability to operate independently, prioritize efficiently and take ownership of matters from initiation through execution.

Preferred Qualifications:

• In-house legal experience at an advertising, experiential marketing, entertainment, media or production company.
• Experience with talent, influencer, sponsorship, licensing and production agreements.
• Familiarity with advertising, data privacy and related regulatory requirements.
• Experience coordinating outside counsel.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted legal review tools and contract lifecycle management systems.

Location: We are a hybrid company with hub locations in Los Angeles and New York City. The ideal candidate is located in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, however, we will consider remote candidates for this role. 

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging:

At NVE, we are led by curiosity and fueled by humanity. Authentic connection is at the heart of our work and we embrace the opportunity and responsibility we have as an organization to provide the tools and resources needed to deliver the best and most equitable experiences possible for our employees and the clients we serve.

Perks & Benefits: 

• Health & Wellness Benefits 
• 401k Match 
• Communication Stipend 
• Paid Company holidays & PTO Package 
• Company get togethers & retreats 
• Paid Parental Leave 
• Flexible WFH policy 

Salary Estimation: 

• Licensed attorney: [$160,000.00 - $190,000.00 per year]
• Business Affairs professional (JD not required): [$120,000.00 - $150,000.00 per year]

This is an Exempt full-time role. NVE intends to provide a competitive total compensation package which includes a variety of incentives, benefits, growth and developmental opportunities. There are many factors to the presented salary range, including but not limited to - location, departmental budgets, certifications, and overall job-related qualifications. 

NVE reserves the right to change or modify the employee’s job description whether orally or in writing, at any time during the employment relationship. NVE may require an employee to perform duties outside his/her normal description.

Employment eligibility verification is required for this role. In certain states, NVE participates in the E-Verify program in accordance with local regulations.
Applicable states: Utah, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida.