She also engineered a number of groundbreaking practices to help power Netflix’s meteoric rise from content licenser to Hollywood’s predominant movie studio, releasing as many as 60 films per year. She authored novel deal and participation structures, including the first streaming buyout arrangements, which have become the new industry standard. Paquette also negotiated Netflix’s biggest deals with A-list talent and high-level partners, including 360/overall deals, first-look pacts, multipicture deals, output arrangements and multiparty competitive auctions for packages and IP. Her leadership role required adept thinking concerning labor matters, the company’s expansion into gaming, the impact of pending legislation and the implications of AI for creatives and talent.

Prior to joining Netflix, Paquette was general counsel at leading Canadian production and distribution company Alliance Films. During her 13-year tenure Alliance blossomed into a major global entity, ultimately merging with eOne in a sale Paquette helped to broker. After the sale she spent a year as a full-time consultant to the president of eOne’s global film production arm.

At Alliance, Paquette managed the legal aspects of all corporate transactions, including the sale of Alliance Atlantis Communications’ business to CanWest Media and the acquisition of Maple Pictures from Lionsgate. In addition to managing litigation and arbitration matters worldwide, she handled a wide range of business matters, including output agreements and renewals with independent production and distribution partners, first-look pacts, library acquisition deals, financing agreements, joint ventures, marketing partnerships and major vendor contracts.

Paquette began her career at law firms Goodman and Carr in Canada and Olswang in the U.K. She practiced primarily in the areas of securities and corporate and commercial law, with a focus on public offerings, technology and new media.