SVP, Legal, Head of Litigation

Welcome to Warner Bros. Discovery... the stuff dreams are made of.

Who We Are...

When we say, "the stuff dreams are made of," we're not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD's vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what's next...

From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive.

Your New Role

Warner Bros. is seeking a seasoned, business-minded litigation leader to direct the company's litigation strategy and execution across a diverse portfolio of matters, including high-stakes commercial disputes, intellectual property, securities, employment, talent relations, and regulatory matters. Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer, this leader will partner closely with senior executives, functional legal teams, and outside counsel to protect Warner Bros.' creative assets, brands, and business interests while minimizing risk, disruption, and cost.

The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker who can roll up their sleeves to add value in trial and appellate matters while also overseeing operational processes, case management systems, and litigation team workflows. A background that includes both intellectual property and other complex commercial litigation, combined with operational leadership in litigation management, is strongly preferred.

Your Role Accountabilities

Litigation Strategy & Oversight

• Lead Warner Bros. global litigation portfolio, ensuring alignment with business objectives, corporate risk tolerance, and operational efficiency.
• Investigate and manage claims and lawsuits across WB, including contract, copyright, tort, employment, ADA, patent, antitrust, securities, tax, real estate, consumer products, advertising, corporate, and product matters.
• Provide pre-litigation counseling on dispute resolution, indemnity, and contractual risk assessment; advise on likely litigation outcomes to inform negotiations and business strategy.
• Oversee responses to claim letters, civil subpoenas, and government/regulatory requests for information.
• Ensure compliance with preservation obligations and litigation holds.

• Direct outside counsel selection, strategy formulation, budgeting, and performance management to maximize efficiency and quality.
• Review, revise, and approve pleadings, motions, and other filings; oversee discovery, depositions, and trial preparation.
• Prepare company witnesses for depositions, hearings, and trial testimony.
• Monitor litigation costs, budgets, and accruals in collaboration with Legal Operations.
• Review and process a wide array of legal inquiries, notifications, and documents.
• Oversee case intake and case management processes to enhance efficiency.

• Oversee the technology tools, resources, and systems used by the Litigation team.
• Partner with operations and finance to track budgets, prepare audit reports, and maintain performance metrics.
• Identify opportunities to improve key metrics, automate processes and eliminate inefficiencies.
• Support implementation of short- and long-term litigation management policies, objectives, and operating practices.

• Act as a liaison for witnesses, custodians, and outside counsel during discovery.
• Oversee document collection, processing, review, analysis, and production.
• Ensure compliance with document preservation obligations
• Receive, analyze, respond to, and track subpoenas and other information requests.
• Conduct legal research and writing, including preparing correspondence, pleadings, discovery responses, and affidavits.

• Manage patent litigation matters from pre-suit investigation through judgment, including negotiating licensing requests, evaluating patent risk, and advising on patent policy advocacy.
• Partner with product legal teams to address patent risk in new products, technologies, and initiatives.
• Oversee all phases of patent litigation, including discovery, motions practice, settlement negotiations, and trial.

• Collaborate with IP, Employment, Production, Content, Distribution, Privacy/Security, Compliance, and Communications teams to ensure litigation strategies are aligned with business priorities.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior executives, distilling complex legal issues into clear business recommendations.
• Maintain discretion and brand protection in high-profile matters.

• Lead, mentor, and inspire a high-performing litigation team, including attorneys, paralegals, and operations staff.
• Foster collaboration, clarity, and accountability across the department.

• JD from an accredited law school; active bar membership in good standing (CA or NY preferred, or ability to register as in-house counsel).
• 15+ years of litigation experience, including significant first- or second-chair trial experience; both patent and non-patent commercial litigation experience strongly preferred.
• In-house experience with a major entertainment, media, or technology company preferred.
• Background in computer science, engineering, or related technology fields is a plus; experience with audio/video encoding and internet technologies preferred.
• Proven ability to manage complex litigation portfolios and diverse subject matter areas simultaneously.
• Demonstrated operational leadership in litigation management, including systems, metrics, and process improvement.
• Strong executive communication skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Demonstrated success in managing outside counsel and litigation budgets, including alternative fee arrangements.
• High tolerance for complexity and change; ability to thrive in a fast-moving, innovative environment.