SEMAFOR · 3 months ago
Inside Counsel
New York, NY
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level
$200K/yr - $250K/yr
5+ years expSemafor is a global news platform seeking an exceptional Inside Counsel to serve as a strategic legal partner to its leadership team. The role involves providing legal advisory on media law, managing commercial contracts, and ensuring compliance across various business functions.
InternetMedia and EntertainmentNews
Responsibilities
Serve as a trusted legal advisor to the CFO and executive team on all legal and regulatory matters across business functions
Advise on media law issues including defamation, privacy, copyright, fair use, and First Amendment considerations
Advise editorial teams on legal issues related to journalism and ensure compliance with applicable media regulations and industry standards
Support corporate governance matters including board materials, corporate policies, regulatory filings, and maintaining corporate records
Develop and implement internal policies, procedures, and legal risk frameworks to ensure compliance and operational efficiency
Draft, review, and negotiate a wide variety of commercial agreements including event sponsorships ($500K-$5M+), sales contracts, vendor agreements, content partnerships, licensing agreements, syndication deals, and talent agreements
Maintain standardized contract templates and playbooks to enable business velocity while protecting company interests
Provide practical legal solutions that support business objectives in a fast-paced media environment
Provide comprehensive legal support for Semafor's global events portfolio, including budgets ranging from $25,000 to over $5 million
Advise on issues of liability, insurance, force majeure, and attendee terms
Navigate cross-border legal and regulatory considerations for major event franchises
Manage Semafor's global trademark portfolio and brand protection strategy
Advise on copyright, content ownership, and journalists' external IP arrangements
Oversee domain and social media legal matters
Identify and evaluate legal risks across the organization and develop practical mitigation strategies
Coordinate with outside counsel on litigation matters, manage discovery processes, and develop litigation strategies
Oversee pre-publication review when necessary to minimize legal exposure
Manage relationships with outside counsel and legal service providers to ensure cost-effective delivery of specialized legal services
Support leadership on employment agreements, consulting arrangements, and compliance with employment laws across multiple jurisdictions
Ensure understanding and compliance with data privacy regulations including CCPA and GDPR
Partner with editorial, events, revenue, and operations teams to advance business goals
Provide practical, solutions-oriented legal guidance that balances risk with opportunity and enables growth
Build trusted relationships across all levels of the organization
Qualification
Required
J.D. from an accredited law school (top-tier institutions strongly preferred)
Active bar membership in New York (or eligibility to practice in-house in New York)
5-10 years of progressive legal experience, ideally including media, entertainment, publishing, technology, or related industries
Demonstrated expertise in media law, intellectual property, and commercial transactions
Experience managing litigation matters and working with outside counsel
Deep understanding of contract law, intellectual property, and media/publishing law
Strong command of legal issues affecting digital media companies including content licensing, privacy, and platform liability
Familiarity with advertising and marketing regulations including FTC guidelines
Knowledge of employment law and talent/creator agreements
Superior analytical and problem-solving abilities to address complex legal issues
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills for conveying legal concepts to non-legal stakeholders
Strong negotiation skills with ability to achieve favorable outcomes while maintaining relationships
Project management skills to handle multiple matters simultaneously
Preferred
Experience supporting live events or conferences strongly preferred
Experience with newsroom operations and First Amendment issues strongly preferred
Benefits
Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) policy
Company
SEMAFOR
Semafor is a news and media company that offers widely covered news content across the globe.
51-200 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$107.6M2026-01-07Series Unknown· $63.6M
2023-05-24Seed· $19M
2022-06-22Pre Seed· $25M
Leadership Team
Ben Smith
Editor In Chief
Justin B. Smith
Founder
Recent News
2026-01-16
Company data provided by crunchbase