The Company Christie’s, the world’s largest Art Business, is an incredibly exciting & enriching place to start or continue your career. Whether you work within one of our Specialist Art Departments or in our more Operational focused teams we are all working together with one common goal in mind: to continue the success of this over 250 year old company, steeped in history, bringing constant innovation whilst not forgetting our age old values; Respect, Passionate Expertise, Exceptional Client Service, Teamwork, Integrity, Business Judgement & Innovation. Colleagues across all departments are truly passionate about what they do and it is constantly inspiring to work with industry leaders across all segments of the business. The RoleThe Legal Counsel and Global Copyright Manager will be based in New York as a member of the Americas Legal & Risk Department. Primarily, this role will consist of overseeing all legal matters relating to Christie's intellectual property compliance globally. In addition, s/he will handle information technology agreements, privacy issues and other day-to-day legal matters that arise at the auction house. Responsibilities will include: providing copyright clearance advice globally to a network of individuals to ensure Christie's sales and marketing efforts remain compliant with copyright laws around the world, managing Christie’s trademark portfolio, and drafting and negotiating agreements for various Christie's internal departments. The Legal Counsel will work within a global team of attorneys and other professionals to develop best practices and deliver high-quality legal and risk management services to the company.
Specific duties & responsibilities will include but are not limited to:
- Provide best-in-class, practical intellectual property advice and training for Christie's businesses globally – with a specific focus on copyright matters (including clearance)Provide comprehensive legal service to the information technology, art business and operations teams, including handling all aspects of negotiations, in a commercial and pragmatic way
- Draft, negotiate and review consignment, commercial and various other agreements
- Educate and train business colleagues on a wide array of legal mattersAssist business colleagues in navigating and resolving commercial disputes
- Work with legal and business colleagues across the globe on international transactions and projects
- Engage as a practical legal advisor, continually improving commercial skills, strengthening relationships and striving to be a credible business partner and not a legal technocrat
- Occasionally work with external counsel
- J.D. degree from an accredited law school with admission to at least one state bar (preferably NY)4-7 years of experience in intellectual property matters, ideally with private practice experience and with a focus on copyright and trademark law
- Experience on information technology matters and various privacy laws is desirable
- Interest and knowledge of art law and the art world is desirable but not essential
- Excellent legal and analytical skills including drafting, negotiation and presentation skillsStrong communication and interpersonal skills
- Works collaboratively while maintaining an independent mind
- Exhibits sound commercial judgment when balancing legal risks against business benefits
- Isn’t afraid to make decisions – particularly when time pressured
- Develops productive internal and external relationships
- Possesses strong and effective time management skills and is able to juggle many projects at onceThe Benefits
- Comprehensive Medical, Dental and Vision care plans for employees and dependents (On average, Christie’s pays 80% of total premiums)401(k) Savings Plan – Christie’s provides a matching contribution up to 5% (subject to IRS limits) Life Insurance - 3x base salary up to $400k (100% paid by Christie’s)Disability Insurance (100% paid by Christie’s)Generous time-off and leave policies; including 100% Paid Family Leave up to 16 weeks.
- Fitness Reimbursement Program: reimbursement of eligible fitness fees and memberships up to $600 per year
- Annual Discretionary Performance Bonus Plan
- Commuter Benefits - Pre-tax money towards your daily commute with a Christie’s contribution of $21 per monthBack Up Child & Elder Care – up to 10 days of back-up Child or Elder Care through Bright HorizonsCSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Day- Each employee receives one paid day per year to dedicate their time to a charity of their choice.
- Perks and Discounts through Zo and Plum Benefits *Christie’s reserves the right to change company benefits at any time
