Associate Counsel

Warner Music Group • Toronto, ON

45d • Onsite

About The Position

At Warner Music Group, we’re a global collective of music makers and music lovers, tech innovators and inspired entrepreneurs, game-changing creatives and passionate team members. Here, we turn dreams into stardom and audiences into fans. We are guided by three core values that underpin everything we do across all our diverse businesses: Curiosity: We do our best work when we’re immersing ourselves in culture and breaking through barriers. Curiosity is the driving force behind creativity and ingenuity. It fuels innovation, and innovation is the key to our future. Collaboration: Making music and bringing it to the world is all about the power of originality amplified by teamwork. A great idea, like a great song, travels globally. We ignite passions and build connections across our diverse community of artists, songwriters, partners, and fans. Commitment: We pursue excellence for our team and our talent. Everything in music starts with a leap into the unknown, and we’re committed to keeping the faith, acting with integrity, and delivering on our promises. WMG is home to a wide range of artists, musicians, and songwriters that fuel our success. That is why we are committed to creating a work environment that actively values, appreciates, and respects everyone. We encourage applications from people with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. Consider a career at WMG and get the best of both worlds – an innovative global music company that retains the creative spirit of a nimble independent.

The successful candidate will provide comprehensive legal and business affairs support to Warner Music Canada, acting as the primary in-house legal advisor for the region. This role supports senior leadership, A&R, marketing, finance, and operations teams across a broad range of matters including artist and commercial agreements, intellectual property, corporate governance, compliance, employment, and disputes. The role requires a commercially minded lawyer who can operate independently in a fast-paced, creative, and highly regulated environment.

Requirements

• Canadian law degree and member in good standing with a Canadian law society
• Minimum 5–6 years post-call experience (other relevant experience considered)
• Strong knowledge of copyright law and commercial contracting of recording agreements
• Experience in entertainment, media, or music industry is a strong asset
• Excellent drafting, negotiation, and communication skills
• High degree of professional ethics, judgment, and discretion
• Ability to manage competing priorities and work under pressure
• Commercially astute, collaborative, and culturally aware

Nice To Haves

• Experience working within a music company or multinational organization
• Experience negotiating DSP, artist, and brand partnership agreements
• Familiarity with Canadian and global music industry practices

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements, including: Recording agreements (album, single, track-based, profit share, bespoke deals) Distribution, merchandising, sync licensing, brand partnerships,
• Support artist lifecycle matters including signings, renegotiations, option exercises, and terminations
• Work closely with Finance on deal analysis, P&Ls, and commercial assessments
• Serve as trusted legal advisor to senior management and cross-functional teams
• Advise on copyright, neighbouring rights, trademarks, and digital rights matters
• Support rights management for the region by being Warner’s representative on various boards and industry group committees, including serving on the ReSound Board.
• Maintain and oversee contract records, option diaries, and rights management systems
• Support corporate governance, delegations of authority, and conflict-of-interest processes
• Coordinate government and regulatory matters, including copyright reform initiatives with industry bodies and associations

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree