Job Description

DWTSurge Entertainment Transactions Attorney 

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is seeking a part-time entertainment transactions attorney for engagement through the firm’s alternative-track contract attorney and staffing program, DWTSurge. The selected attorney will work with the firm’s Media & Entertainment practice group and be dedicated to supporting a large institutional client program. The selected attorney may work remotely but must hold active bar admission in their state of residence and a state in which DWT maintains an office. 

This contract position will support one of the firm’s marquee clients with certificates of engagement or authorship and other production agreements for entertainment creatives including producers, writers, and directors. The selected attorney will handle a high volume of contracts and transactions by primarily drafting and redlining preliminary agreements pursuant to an established protocol. This role is client facing and requires a high-level of commitment to excellent client service and responsiveness. Applicants must be strong practitioners who are comfortable and skilled at managing multiple competing priorities, meeting expedited deadlines, and have a demonstrated attention to detail. Attorneys should be able to work independently and exercise good judgement, but should also collaborate easily with various business stakeholders, other lawyers, and support staff to meet objectives within short deadlines.

This contract position offers the flexibility of remote work and part time hours, between 20-30 hours per week with the potential to increase. While the engagement is for an initial 6-month contract term, there is a strong possibility of renewal of the contract position for successful candidates. We are looking for attorneys interested in establishing a long-term working relationship with DWT on an exclusive basis.

The ideal candidate will have:
  • 2+ years of transactional legal experience, with a focus on entertainment transactions and agreements at a mid-sized or large law firm and/or with large institutional clients.
  • Residency and active bar admission in one of the following states: AK, AZ, CA, CT, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, MD, MN, MT, NJ, NY, OK, OR, PA, TN, TX, VA, WA, and WDC. Attorneys must hold active bar admission in the state where they reside and a state in which DWT maintains an office.
  • Attorneys barred and based in AK, CA, IL, NY, OR, VA WA, or WDC are strongly preferred.
  • Demonstrated experience drafting and reviewing contracts. Familiarity with entertainment contracts and concepts is a plus. 
  • Ability to draft, respond to, and revise agreement drafts quickly to meet the client’s often-expedited timelines. 
  • Ability to handle multiple contracts and transactions while managing excellent follow-up and follow-through practices. 
  • Proficiency with drafting contracts in Microsoft Word, including redlining function, entering data in Excel, and willingness to learn and navigate new and various databases. 
  • Willingness to adhere to the client’s detailed process and protocol requirements, and accept supervisor’s instructions and feedback. 
  • Availability to work 20-30 hours/week. Candidates must have flexibility to potentially increase hours or decrease hours as needed and comply with the Firm’s exclusivity requirements. 
  • Availability to adhere to a regular schedule and availability for occasional work on evenings or weekends, if and as needed. 
  • Strong ability to support and stay connected with a remote, distributed team.
  • High-level of responsiveness and client service abilities.
  • Strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
  • Excellent writing skills, strong attention to detail, and ability to produce high quality work product with minimal supervision and direction.
Please note that this is a temporary contract position managed by DWT’s flexible contract attorney program, DWTSurge. Compensation will be paid on an hourly basis, commensurate with experience and skill level (see below). This role is unbenefited. We are interested in candidates who are electing to pursue a more flexible way of providing continuous, high-value legal services to the firm and our clients. If you are interested in a more traditional law firm position, please check the DWT careers page for lateral opportunities.
The hourly compensation range for this position in CA, MD, NY, WA, and WDC is $80-120 per hour. Actual pay will be adjusted based on the candidate’s education, training, experience and other job-related factors permitted by law. 

Additional benefits include: 
  • First Stop Health Telemedicine: Speak with a licensed physician or mental health counselor 24/7, covered by the firm
  • TELUS Health Employee Assistance Program: Receive support with mental, financial, physical, and emotional wellbeing
  • Voluntary Pet Insurance
  • Milk Stork: Virtual lactation consulting, breast milk shipping and nutritional testing covered by the firm
Wellness Benefits:
  • Peloton App
  • Headspace App
WASHINGTON STATE
Paid sick leave is accrued on a biweekly basis at a rate of 1 hour per 30 hours worked.

All applications should be submitted via LinkedIn or by sending a resume and cover letter directly to DWTSurge Recruiter, Zoe Melcher at zoemelcher@dwt.com. The DWTSurge Recruiting team will be in touch as we review your application materials.

For this opportunity, we are not accepting third party submissions.
We are an AmLaw 100 law firm with eleven offices nationwide. We are relentlessly committed to client service and look for candidates who share that commitment. At DWT, client service means having empathy for each client’s and each lawyer’s work and personal pressures, business objectives, and legal needs; anticipating their needs; and having the capabilities and commitment to deliver what matters most to them.
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP embraces diversity, equity and inclusion. It brings out the best of what each individual has to offer and inspires us to build strong and lasting connections with each other, our clients, and our communities.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are part of the fabric of Davis Wright Tremaine - central to who we are and what we do. Our vision is to foster a culture where all talented individuals - including those who are from traditionally underrepresented communities in the legal profession - can have, and can see, a path to success. We embed DEI throughout our law firm with our four-pillar framework: Community, Growth, Education, and Engagement. We invite you to learn more about our commitment to DEI at https://www.dwt.com/about/diversity-equity-and-inclusion.
In order to support our effort to foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive law firm, we request that you voluntarily provide demographic data. All self-reported demographic information is stored securely in a manner that is compliant with DWT’s privacy and security policies and is only accessible by authorized members of the Talent Acquisition and HR Departments; it is not shared with any of the hiring decision-makers.
It is our policy to hire, promote, transfer, terminate, and make all other employment-related decisions without regard to an employee’s sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical condition), race, color, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, religious creed, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, medical condition, military or veteran status or any other basis prohibited by applicable local, state, or federal laws. To review our Anti-Harassment Policy, click on this URL, https://www.dwt.com/-/media/files/policyagainstharassmentdiscrimination.pdf?la=en&hash=66A1B0095748A5E76B0B8A00773F5246.
As an equal opportunity employer, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP values the diversity of our work force and the knowledge of our personnel. Labor Condition Applications (LCAs) for specialty occupation petitions are displayed electronically in accordance with notice requirements pursuant to U.S. Department of Labor regulations, and public access files are available pursuant to regulation. See 20 CFR § 655.734, 655.760.
Davis Wright Tremaine provides reasonable accommodations for those who need them to complete the application or recruiting process and for employees who need reasonable accommodations to perform the essential functions of their positions due to a disability or for religious reasons. If you need to request accommodation during the application or recruiting process, please email HumanResources_Confidential@dwt.com.

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