Corporate Counsel, Organized Play and Premier Events

Get to know The Pokémon Company International

The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children's entertainment properties in the world.

Learn more online at corporate.pokemon.com and pokemon.com.

Get to know the role

We are seeking a skilled attorney to join our Legal Department team. The ideal candidate will establish themselves as the go-to person for providing legal support to our Organized Play and Premier Events business units while demonstrating a collaborative, efficient, and meticulous approach. Additionally, the candidate should be able to build and maintain a reputation for delivering timely, reliable, accurate, and thorough service to our business clients. Developing strong relationships with Legal Department teams in Bellevue and London is also critical to this role.

Job Title: Corporate Counsel

Job Summary: Provides frontline legal support, teamed with a Sr. Manager Sr. Corporate Counsel and Contracts Specialist, to Organized Play and Premier Events, TPCi’s local tournament and e-sports program (physical TCG tournaments + online videogame tournaments) businesses.

FLSA Classification (US Only): Exempt

People Manager: No

What you’ll do

• Will provide legal advice and counseling on a wide range of legal matters to business partners.
• Be responsible for the delivering of legal work for the Organized Play and Premier Events business units, including:
  • Employ legal judgment and subject matter knowledge to advise on legal risk for the Businesses (may directly handle these activities personally or coordinate their execution with manager), to enable the Business Units to advance with alacrity while in full legal compliance; communicating in a pragmatic and collaborative fashion both up (to manager) and across (to business unit clients and fellow Legal Department team members) the chain.
  • Recognizes, researches, and advises on legal problems using sound and thoughtful legal analysis and judgment in consultation with manager and fellow Legal Department team members.
  • Work closely with legal team members operating in a matrixed department to deliver exceptional, holistic advice to client teams.
  • Serve as responsible point of contact for the drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a variety of commercial agreements including vendor, IP/IT licensing, entertainment and media licenses, team participation and licensing agreements, and sponsorship agreements (may directly handle these activities personally or coordinate their execution with Contracts Specialist or other legal teams).
  • Occasional travel and provide on-site legal support at various events.
• Assist with the development and improvement of templates, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), playbooks, and policies related to legal advice.
• Champion and educate internal users in the proper use of legal processes.           

What you’ll bring

• Three+ (3+) years of relevant professional experience.
• J.D. from an accredited law school or equivalent degree.
• Bar license in good standing; admission to the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) or other state bar required; if admitted to other state bar, must successfully register with the WSBA.
• Strong esports or competitive TCG professional background or personal experience.
• Ability to travel internationally for fixed event dates including to Canada, Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific.
• Ability to provide on-site legal support that requires standing or walking for the duration of the conventions, which can be multiple days.
• Working knowledge of marketing or consumer regulatory law.
• Strong legal judgment and analytical skills.
• Critical thinking, including devising creative pragmatic solutions to resolve new and unexpected issues/uncertain situations.
• Strong drafting, negotiation, communication (written and verbal), and excellent interpersonal skills.
• Manage multiple projects at once to deadline.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Attention to detail, accuracy, and organization.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and efficiency.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Outlook, Excel).
• In-house legal team experience preferred.
• Experience working with multinational corporations and/or client and possessing a strong ability to facilitate cross-cultural communications preferred.

Base Salary Range: For this role, new hires generally start between $106,000.00 - $126,000.00 per year. The full range is $106,000.00 - $160,000.00 per year. This range is applicable for the labor market where the role is intended to be hired. The final base salary is directly related to the candidate’s qualifications and professional experience uniquely.

#LI-MK1 #LI-hybrid

How you’ll be successful

• Passion for Pokémon: Develops an understanding of the Pokémon brand, the impact it has on our people, culture, business, fans, and communities, and applying that knowledge and passion to everything you do.
• Challenging the Expected: Approaches challenges with curiosity and creativity, embracing the possibility of failure as an opportunity to learn something new, develop innovative ideas, solve complex problems and identify unique opportunities.  
• Integrity and Respect: Demonstrates integrity and respect by leading with empathy, listening to others, seeking out different perspectives, and taking personal responsibility for decisions, actions, and results.
• Dedicated to Quality: Takes ownership to maintain and promote high standards, looks for new ways to learn and improve, and embraces a growth mindset to seek and apply feedback from others in an effort to continuously improve. 
• Building Relationships: Develops and strengthens relationships, adopting a “team first” mentality and working collaboratively to solve problems and meet shared goals.  
• Delighting Customers: Listens and understands the interests and needs of our customers and stakeholders, making them feel heard and important, and embracing these learnings to continue delivering a unique Pokémon experience.

What to expect

• An innovative culture driven by impact, delivering meaningful outcomes.
• Company events that celebrate the spirit of Pokémon.
• Competitive cash-based compensation programs.
• 100% employer-paid healthcare premiums for you.
• Generous paid family leave.
• Employer-paid life insurance.
• Employer-paid long and short-term income protection insurance.
• US Employees: 401k Employer Matching.
• UK/IRE/MX Employees: Pension Employer Contributions.
• Fitness reimbursement.
• Commuter benefit.
• LinkedIn learning.
• Comprehensive relocation package for certain roles.
• Hybrid work environment.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this role. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required. Employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed. For roles in the United Kingdom, candidates will need the right to work. In some cases, and for some roles, the Company may be able to arrange a visa. For roles in Ireland, this role requires candidates to have the right to live and work in the Republic of Ireland. However, we welcome applications from all nationalities and may consider supporting an employment permit application, in appropriate and suitable cases.

The Pokémon Company International is committed to the inclusion of all qualified applicants for consideration in our job application process. If you require reasonable accommodation to complete a job application, pre-employment testing, or a job interview, or to otherwise participate in the hiring process, please contact the Talent Acquisition team at accommodationrequest_ta@pokemon.com.