Associate Director, Business and Legal Affairs

Warner Music Group • New York, NY

5d • $100,000 - $135,000 • 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. A little bit about our team: At Warner Music Group, we are a global collective of music makers and music lovers, tech innovators, and inspired entrepreneurs. The ADA Business & Legal Affairs team is a close-knit group of passionate music attorneys who handle the legal issues relating to the distribution, monetization, and marketing of independent music. As the global distribution company for independent artists and labels at WMG, ADA provides the creative spirit of a nimble independent with the innovative reach of a global leader. Your role: As the Associate Director of Business & Legal Affairs for ADA, you will be a key player in structuring and executing the deals that drive our global distribution business. You will act as a primary legal partner to our A&R, marketing, and finance teams, providing expert counsel on a wide range of transactional and intellectual property matters. We are looking for a high-performing attorney who is ready to take full ownership of their deals, from the initial term sheet to the final signature, while thriving in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. Here you’ll get to: You will structure, negotiate, and draft a variety of complex industry agreements, including distribution agreements and amendments, label service deals, license agreements, NDAs, commercial vendor agreements, and termination agreements, among others. You will provide day-to-day legal and business counseling to ADA’s A&R, finance, marketing, label management, commerce, and international departments regarding contractual obligations and rights. You will take full ownership of the deal lifecycle, ensuring all contracts are executed accurately and efficiently while maintaining a high standard of attention to detail. You will investigate and resolve claims and disputes, including copyright, audit, and breach of contract matters, in coordination with WMG’s corporate legal and litigation departments. You will liaise with the finance and accounting departments to ensure accurate interpretation of complex deal terms and compliance with financial obligations.

Requirements

• You have a J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited law school and are a member in good standing of the New York State Bar.
• You have at least 3-5 years of post-bar experience as a practicing transactional attorney.
• You are a "Type-A" professional with extremely high attention to detail and a commitment to precision in drafting and negotiation.
• You are ready to take complete ownership of your deals and drive them to completion independently while remaining a team-oriented collaborator.
• You are a proactive problem-solver who can manage multiple high-priority assignments simultaneously under tight deadlines.
• You are deeply passionate about music, innovation, and the independent label community.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in-house at a music distributor or record label, or within the music/entertainment practice of a major law firm.
• In-depth knowledge of copyright, trademark, and rights of publicity (NIL) as they pertain to the recorded music industry.
• A strong understanding of the evolving digital landscape and its impact on music distribution and monetization.

Responsibilities

• You will structure, negotiate, and draft a variety of complex industry agreements, including distribution agreements and amendments, label service deals, license agreements, NDAs, commercial vendor agreements, and termination agreements, among others.
• You will provide day-to-day legal and business counseling to ADA’s A&R, finance, marketing, label management, commerce, and international departments regarding contractual obligations and rights.
• You will take full ownership of the deal lifecycle, ensuring all contracts are executed accurately and efficiently while maintaining a high standard of attention to detail.
• You will investigate and resolve claims and disputes, including copyright, audit, and breach of contract matters, in coordination with WMG’s corporate legal and litigation departments.
• You will liaise with the finance and accounting departments to ensure accurate interpretation of complex deal terms and compliance with financial obligations.

What This Job Offers

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