JoAnna Dowdy
Greenbelt,MD
Summary
An experienced manager and paralegal with over a decade of expertise in television entertainment, legal rights, clearances, and contract drafting is presented here. A comprehensive background in managing legal production issues, providing rights and clearances support, and delivering exceptional client service is brought to the table. Abilities extend to navigating complex legal matters, drafting various contractual agreements, and responding promptly to legal inquiries. A challenging new role is sought where strong skills and experience can be applied effectively.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Paralegal, Contracts & Trademark
Office of the Chief Legal Officer, Public Broadcasting Service
01.2019 - Current
- Served a broad range of internal clients, actively liaising with departments such as Multiplatform Marketing & Content, Corporate Communications, Human Resources, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, PBS Digital Studios, and PBS KIDS.
- Established strong and effective legal frameworks through the meticulous drafting of diverse contracts, including service provider agreements, public relations agency agreements, staffing agreements, logo licenses, speaker releases, performance agreements, non-disclosure agreements, public and appearance releases, and more.
- Proactively performed conference calls with vendors, addressing questions and resolving contract-related issues swiftly and efficiently.
- Delivered expert legal guidance on contracts, waivers, NDAs, releases, venues, and related matters, ensuring compliance and mitigating risks.
- Significantly increased efficiency in the contract drafting process by assisting in the creation and revision of contract templates.
- Conducted thorough reviews and addressed issues in vendor contracts, including scrutinizing venue agreements, subscription agreements, and software agreements, ensuring all terms were favorable and compliant.
- Responded promptly and accurately to external legal inquiries regarding the use of PBS programs for educational and other purposes, providing clear and concise information.
- Managed trademark matters with a keen eye for detail, updating the suspect URL domains spreadsheet, requesting title clearances, monitoring PBS brand usage, drafting cease and desist letters, and managing copyright registrations, thereby safeguarding the organization's intellectual property rights and brand integrity.
Manager
Discovery Inc.
02.2007 - 10.2018
- Negotiated and reviewed contracts with external vendors, including those for stock footage and music.
- Conducted legal research to support various company initiatives.
- Drafted agreements, including independent contractor agreements, music agreements, and footage licenses
- Managed rights and clearances for both digital and on-air promotional content for all U.S. and international networks.
- Ensured compliance with standard practices in on-air programs and digital content.
- Delivered rights and clearances training and contract drafting training to colleagues.
- Provided legal support to attorneys on high-profile client projects and responded promptly to urgent legal inquiries related to production shoots.
- Developed and provided legal release templates for internal clients.
- Maintained positive client relations by addressing problems head-on and implementing successful corrective actions
Rights Analyst
Discovery Inc.
01.2007 - 01.2010
- Drafted promotional footage licenses and fulfilled internal promotional requests.
- Managed legal aspects of diverse programming productions, including crafting independent contractor agreements.
- Served as main legal contact for promotion-related inquiries, fulfilling gratis requests from external parties.
Education
Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature, Reading, Writing, Rhetoric -
University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MDSkills
- Proficient in drafting contracts for internal and external parties
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Strong legal research abilities
- Extensive experience in rights and clearances for program productions
- Exceptional customer service skills
- In-depth knowledge of legal production issues regarding releases and agreements
Accomplishments
- Led a successful Contracts 101 training for PBS's internal clients, empowering them to draft and negotiate contracts, and understand legal terms and conditions.
- Coordinated legal clearances for PBS KIDS Read Along digital series, contributing to its success with a viewership on a channel with 2.19 million subscribers.
- Played a key role in drafting legal releases and contracts for DISCOVERY Channel's "Shark Week" promotional campaign, contributing to its success with almost 35 million viewers.
Professional Development
Completed courses focused on Trademark and Copyright law, and a comprehensive Artificial Intelligence Law course.
Timeline
Paralegal, Contracts & Trademark
Office of the Chief Legal Officer, Public Broadcasting Service
01.2019 - Current
Manager
Discovery Inc.
02.2007 - 10.2018
Rights Analyst
Discovery Inc.
01.2007 - 01.2010
Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature, Reading, Writing, Rhetoric -
University of Maryland - College Park
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