Head of Legal and Business Affairs
London, UK · Full-time · Hybrid
About Wonder Studios
Wonder Studios is an AI-native film studio redefining how stories are told. We partner with global brands, artists, and studios to create award winning campaigns, films, and experiences that merge cinematic craft with cutting-edge AI technology.
Wonder brings together a studio, talent marketplace and global community of creative and AI-native filmmakers, pairing creatives and engineers from the start of each project to support ambitious storytelling and new production models.
We’ve raised more than $15 million from elite investors including LocalGlobe, Atomico and Adobe as well as angels from the leading AI companies including OpenAI, ElevenLabs, Google DeepMind.
We’re now a team of 35+ based around the world with offices in London, LA, NYC and SF.
You can read more about our mission and vision here: https://wonderstudios.substack.com/p/wonder-studios-what-were-building
The Role
Our legal work sits at the intersection of entertainment, technology, and the emerging AI regulatory landscape. No two days look the same. Curiosity about AI and its legal implications is essential. This is a space where the questions are genuinely novel and the answers are still being worked out.
We're looking for a commercially minded Head of Legal & Business Affairs to own the legal function at Wonder. Reporting to the CEO, you'll be responsible for the full range of legal workstreams across commercial, IP, investor relations, employment, data protection, and regulatory matters. You'll work closely with founders and senior stakeholders, and your judgment will carry real weight.
This is a high-ownership role for a lawyer who's ready to run a legal function independently. You won't have a team beneath you to start, so we're looking for someone with enough experience to know when to escalate and enough confidence to act without needing sign-off on every decision.
What You'll Do
- Draft and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements, including production services agreements, co-production and IP rights deals, ‘above the line’ talent deals, project equity and debt finance agreements, partnership and sponsorship deals, and content licensing/distribution arrangements
- Advise on employment and contractor matters - including UK & US worker classification, talent agreements, guild issues (particularly in the US and UK), equity documentation, and employment agency regulations where relevant
- Support corporate matters including fundraising, equity management, cap table maintenance, option grants, and board governance - working alongside external counsel where needed
- Manage global privacy compliance across the UK, EU, and US Build and own contract templates, playbooks, and internal legal infrastructure
- Keep across developments in AI regulation, copyright law, and the UK and EU platform economy
- Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders - production, IP & development, commercial, finance, and talent teams - to give practical, proportionate legal advice
- Supporting funding and financing rounds, including working with investors, managing due diligence processes, and reviewing and negotiating transaction documentation
- Manage, oversee and support IP acquisition - including asset purchases, standard rights in deals such as option, shopping and joint venture deals, licensing arrangements, and the diligence required to assess and clean title on third-party IP
What We're Looking For
- A qualified solicitor (England & Wales) with 4-7 years of PQE, with in-house experience preferred or strong relevant private practice background
- Experience in commercial contracts, with strong drafting instincts and an eye for risk that doesn't tip into over-lawyering
- Deep familiarity with the media and entertainment space - ideally with experience on both the sell side (at a production company or similar) and the buy side (at a commissioner or financier) with exposure to the full ecosystem across development, financing, production, distribution and monetisation
- Comfort working across UK employment law and global privacy frameworks (UK GDPR, EU GDPR, and US state privacy laws)
- An interest in AI and its legal implications - you don't need to be a specialist, but you should be genuinely curious about the space
- Strong written communication skills and the ability to translate legal complexity into plain, accessible language
- A self-starter, start up mindset - able to manage your own workload, flag issues early, and get things done without a lot of process overhead
- Ability to manage matters across both UK and US jurisdictions - comfortable navigating the differences between the two systems and knowing when to bring in local counsel
Nice to Have
- Experience in independent feature film financing and navigating tax credit/rebate regimes in the UK, EU and USA
- Exposure to equity documentation or early-stage company work
- Familiarity with cross-border commercial arrangements, including EU/UK divergence post-Brexit
- Prior in-house experience
What We Offer
- Full ownership of the legal function at a well-backed, early-stage AI company
- Broad remit across commercial, IP, employment, regulatory, and emerging AI legal matters
- Direct access to and influence over senior leadership and founders
- Hybrid working from London with flexibility
- Competitive salary and equity participation
Wonder Studios is an equal opportunities employer. We're building a diverse and inclusive team and welcome applications from all backgrounds.
