Associate Director, Business & Legal Affairs

Warner Music Group • Los Angeles, CA

34d • $110,000 - $130,000 • 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: We are a dynamic, diverse, and dedicated group of professionals with a passion for music who provide general counseling to Warner Records across a wide range of business and legal issues. We value hard work, finely-tuned listening, and a forward-thinking mindset. We work closely with every department at the label, and we focus on structuring the label’s business and legal relationship with each of our artists. Your role: You will have the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of a record company – and the recorded music business more generally – while making a meaningful and tangible contribution to the creation and release of our artists’ music. You will be directly involved in all business and legal aspects of the process from recording to marketing to other activities surrounding artist projects. In a rapidly and ever-changing industry, you will be challenged to make the most of your existing skills while learning new ones. The Warner Records culture will challenge you to make the most of your skills while providing you ample opportunity to grow as an attorney and as an executive.

Requirements

• You are extremely passionate and knowledgeable about music.
• You have a J.D. from top law school plus membership in good standing in one state bar (preferably New York, California or Georgia).
• You have at least 3-5 years of post-bar experience in a major record label business and legal affairs department or in the corporate, M&A, intellectual property and/or litigation departments of a multinational law firm. We will also consider experience in an in-house legal department or similar experience.
• You have superior negotiating, drafting, organizational, and oral and written communication skills.
• You have a demonstrated ability to work independently, within a team-oriented environment.
• You must be able to meet deadlines consistently and effectively while working under pressure; candidate must be able to manage multiple assignments at any given time and prioritize them effectively and appropriately.

Nice To Haves

• In-depth understanding of the areas of the law applicable to the music business, including copyright, trademark, contract, rights of publicity, etc.
• Strong business and financial knowledge.

Responsibilities

• You will negotiate and draft a variety of music and entertainment-related agreements, including recording, label, license, producer, mixer, soundtrack, termination/release, and merchandise, along with related memos and summaries.
• You will research, advise and support A&R, marketing, video, commerce, promotion, royalties, international and other departments regarding contractual and legal obligations.
• You will work closely with A&R administration regarding clearances, budgets, approvals, and general counseling.
• You will review and vet artist-related assets and materials.
• You will investigate, analyze and respond to claims and disputes, including copyright, audit, breach of contract, publicity and trademark, and coordinate with the corporate legal department regarding dispute resolution strategies.

What This Job Offers

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