She has previous experience working in the luxury goods and music industries, but when the opportunity to work at Gameloft presented itself, she took it in a heartbeat and hasn't looked back since.
Her job is the perfect mix of law and artistic creation, and she loves being able to work directly with the game teams and supporting them throughout a game's life cycle.
Find out more about Hortense and what it's like to work as a legal counsel at Gameloft below!
Hi, Hortense! Tell us about yourself.
I've been working as in-house counsel at Gameloft for a little over four years now. Before that, I worked in private practice for a few years in the luxury goods industry, and I also did a stint in music but always with a focus on intellectual property law.
I've always wanted to be a lawyer, and when it comes to my specialization, I wanted to try to combine two fields that I particularly enjoy: law and artistic creation. Gameloft was a natural choice when it came to my next career move, and I've never regretted my choice to work in the video games sector.
What is your role, and what do you enjoy most about your job?
I oversee all intellectual property matters at Gameloft along with nine team members spread around the world to provide the best possible support to the studios.
Our job is to ensure Gameloft’s games aren't exposed to any legal risks, don't contain any content that could infringe competitors' or any third party’s rights, and comply with child protection regulations.
We make sure our IPs are respected and are not unduly breached without our explicit approval as well. We provide end-to-end support to the game teams from the moment the game is kicked off, helping them search for the best title for the game without creating any legal risks and checking the compliance of the game's content with applicable laws and regulations throughout its creation.
We're also involved in marketing operations, drafting sweepstakes and contests rules, and are there for the teams when they need us for cross-functional issues such as esports.
There's a lot of risk, legally speaking, in the video game industry. But it’s exciting to try and find creative and pragmatic solutions for the production teams with my legal expertise while respecting legal requirements and the creative process in the best possible way.
Since Gameloft is an international company, we have to remain in compliance at all times with numerous laws and regulations and also abide by the requirements of the platforms on which our games are published. Our environment is constantly in motion, whether it's at the game team or regulation levels, and it's up to us to be able to adapt and to find solutions!
What are some of your most memorable moments at Gameloft?
There have been so many good moments, both personal and professional, at Gameloft that it's hard to choose one or two!
I've always been very proud to be a part of the initial brainstorms for game titles and enjoyed attending game launches. I also have great memories of my professional trips to the studios in China, Canada, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria, where I was always warmly welcomed. We worked very well together despite our cultural differences.
Given the current context, I have particularly fond memories of the Christmas and summer parties and spending time with all the people who work at HQ in Paris.
How is working in the legal department at Gameloft compared to other industries?
Working at Gameloft is an incredible and unique experience because it's so rare for a legal professional to be able to work internationally in a creative industry. Working directly with the production teams and people who create video games every day and supporting them as much as possible is great.
I won't deny it—being an in-house counsel isn't always easy, but with our tailor-made advice, I believe our department has been able to make a place for itself. I feel like our creative and production teams truly understand and appreciate our guidance and support.
We have multiple positions available in our studios around the world, and you can find all of them here. Stay tuned next week for another edition of Humans Behind the Game!
