Yvette Encarnación

About Yvette Encarnación

As an attorney and senior executive with over 20 years of experience in roles of increasing responsibility, complexity, and scope, I am a key leader and trusted business advisor on a broad range of organizational initiatives. My primary areas of expertise are intellectual property, media law, regulations (e.g, FCC, FTC, and FEC), litigation, and contracts. I provide timely and expert advice to business and legal executives, enabling them to bring their creative visions to fruition while also staying on schedule and on budget. I have broad knowledge and vast practical experience beyond vetting editorial and marketing content. I advise and collaborate daily with stakeholders with varying interests on issues related to communications, compliance, privacy, labor & employment, security, technology, government relations, and regulatory matters. As a skilled negotiator and strategist, I am often counted on to make the final call on risk - a responsibility that aligns well with my ability to be decisive. I am also adept at drafting and collaborating on a variety of complex agreements, including enterprise-wide agreements, and balancing legal concerns with business goals. In my Content Review capacity, I review scripts, cuts, promos, storyboards, and other creative and marketing materials for programming, live events (including sporting events and award shows), games, and social media, and advise editorial and marketing executives, producers, journalists, and attorneys across linear, streaming, and digital on legal liability risk and litigation avoidance. I serve on the frontline for mission-critical initiatives, including Artificial Intelligence, and guide the development and implementation of policy regarding same - one of many examples of how I constantly upskill and expand my expertise. I excel in recruiting, training, and developing exceptional legal talent. I am a highly respected manager overseeing 2 teams consisting of 30 members, including a high-performing team of attorneys that I built, and of which I am also proudly a working member. We work as strategic partners with creative and business executives and are experts in assessing and managing a wide array of risks and devising innovative and creative solutions to get to yes!While managing multi-million dollar budgets, I cut costs associated with outside counsel and other third-party vendors by over 50% by growing expertise internally, creatively leveraging in-house talent, and implementing innovative technological and operational solutions that increased efficiency and efficacy.

Experience

1. Senior Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Business & Legal Affairs

   Paramount

   Jan 2022 — Present

   Paramount was formerly known as ViacomCBS and Viacom Media Networks. I began working at the company as Senior Counsel in June, 2007 (see sections below for my prior roles and promotion history)- Successfully built and manage 2 high-performing teams consisting of 30 members: one comprised of attorneys and support staff, the other comprised of rights, clearances, licensing, and operations professionals. Structured, trained, and managed teams to reduce reliance on outside counsel and other third-party vendors, significantly reducing costs - Provide timely and expert risk mitigation and litigation avoidance advice to 13 global brands including MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, BET, VH1, Bellator MMA, Smithsonian Channel, and their companion news banners, as well as the Paramount+ streaming service - Advise legal and business executives on a wide range of matters including media/First Amendment law, intellectual property law, regulatory compliance, litigation, contracts, marketing, risk management, privacy, technology, security, labor & employment, communications, government relations, and other issues-Advise and collaborate cross-functionally, including on projects related to AI and E&O Underwriting for Privacy, Cyber Security, and Media- Triage and find solutions to a plethora of complex issues arising in scripted, unscripted, news, and live events production daily, including advising on crisis management - Review and advise on scripts, cuts, promos, storyboards, and other creative and marketing materials for scripted, unscripted, news, documentary, and live events and music programming, as well as games and social media - Draft and negotiate a variety of agreements - Handle claims and other litigation matters, including responding to subpoenas - Primary copyright, clearance, and licensing attorney for music and other tentpoles - Manage multi-million dollar budgets, as well as handle all operational and administrative aspects of team management

Education

• Brooklyn Law School

  Juris Doctor (J.D.)

• City University of New York-Hunter College

  Bachelor’s Degree