Corporate Counsel 

U.S. News & World Report is a multifaceted digital media company dedicated to helping citizens, consumers, business leaders and policy officials make important decisions in their lives. We publish independent reporting, rankings, data journalism and advice that has earned the trust of our readers and users for nearly 90 years. Our platforms on usnews.com include Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News, Real Estate, Careers and 360 Reviews. 

We reach more than 40 million people monthly during moments when they are most in need of expert advice and motivated to act on that advice directly on our platforms. Our signature franchises include our 'Best' series of consumer guides on colleges, graduate schools, hospitals, diets, cars, financial services and more. These guides provide an easy-to-digest list for consumers to better understand and compare when making their decisions. We continue to publish annual guides of the authoritative Best Colleges and Best Hospitals rankings on our website and in print. And our U.S. News Live flagship conferences highlight important national conversations including Healthcare of Tomorrow and Healthiest Communities.

We believe in having a broad range of talent and backgrounds at U.S. News. We strive to maintain a welcoming workplace where everyone is given an opportunity to succeed and contribute to their fullest. Learn more about our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative.

Your role in helping us shape the future:

U.S. News empowers everyone to thrive. In this position you will have the opportunity to leverage your strengths and skills to partner with executives, in-house business departments and other staff of U.S. News & World Report and related entities on legal, business and strategic issues for existing and new businesses. The Corporate Counsel is a generalist position with an emphasis on transactional, media and technology matters. You will be a member of a legal team with four other attorneys and one legal assistant and report to the Senior Vice President Strategic Development and General Counsel of U.S. News.

You will have the latitude to work independently as a collaborative member of a small, collegial, fast-paced legal department. The in-house legal department of U.S. News is comprised of attorneys specializing in corporate law, contracts, first amendment, intellectual property, employment, and litigation issues. This position is based in New York City.

Are you up to the challenge?

• Draft, negotiate, and review a variety of agreements, including those in the areas of: intellectual property licensing, technology, advertising, purchasing, software, and services.

• Prepare, and provide counsel on, company policies and procedures.

• Provide counseling on privacy issues.

• Advise executives and in-house business departments on various legal issues and risks.

• Advise editors on content development and acquisition matters, including pre-publication review and advice regarding libel, copyright and other legal matters.

• Prepare responses to copyright, libel, and trademark claims and provide support on other commercial litigation matters.

• Counsel new business initiatives on corporate, content, regulatory and other legal matters.

• Assist in corporate transactional matters including mergers and acquisitions, investments and related matters.

• Assist in the legal operations, including contract administration and rights management matters.

You should definitely have:

• The ideal candidate will have at least 5 years of legal experience gained through either a top tier law firm or in-house setting, primarily focused on corporate transactional matters.

• Expertise handling contracts and agreements is required.

• Demonstrated negotiation process experience.

• JD from top law school, with strong academic credentials.

• Mature judgment with the ability to build relationships and promote confidence across the entire organization.

• Ability to communicate effectively in business terms both verbally and in writing to a wide range of audiences and comfortable with public speaking and presentations.

• Admission to New York bar.

It would be nice if you had:

• Familiarity with intellectual property and advertising issues.

• Good working knowledge of privacy, data security and social media issues.

• Ability to interact effectively with management and employees at all levels within the organization.

• Ability to be a strategic business partner and trusted advisor who is decisive and brings a practical, commercial focus to the provision of legal advice.

• A high degree of integrity and a commitment to professionalism and collegiality.

• Ability to be a collaborative and consultative team player with an ability to work well both independently and in a team environment.

• Strong analytical skills.

• Organizational skills and the capacity to work simultaneously on a broad variety of legal matters.

What it’s like to work with us:

Talent is our best asset!

We invest in people with passion and potential who understand U.S. News’ dedication to our consumers.

• Entrepreneurial, mission-driven culture with core values of quality and integrity

• Focus on fostering personal and professional growth

• Competitive benefits including paid vacation time, medical insurance, tuition reimbursement, and training

• Collaborative work environment ~ Fun, diverse, inclusive and ambitious co-workers

Other Job Info:

• These statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this job. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of employees assigned to this job.

• U.S. News & World Report strongly encourages all employees to be fully vaccinated (including boosters).

• This position is based in New York City working a hybrid schedule.

• The anticipated base salary for this position is $175,000 - $195,000. The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, interview performance, and if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job.