Manager, Legal Affairs

Job Description:

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.
  
  

We remain committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We know it fosters a culture where you can truly belong, contribute, and grow. We encourage applications from people of any age, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religion, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, and any other characteristic or identity.

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.

Job Title: Manager, Legal Affairs

A little bit about our team:

WMG Global Catalog/Rhino Entertainment is the catalog division of Warner Music Group responsible for advancing the legacy of Warner’s iconic artists and optimizing the performance of Warner’s catalog of recorded music, including that of legacy artists and current superstars. Rhino’s dynamic Business and Legal Affairs team shares a passion for music and values hard work with a creative, problem-solving mindset. We focus on innovative deals with and for WMG artists in areas of recorded music, brand licensing, and ancillary exploitation. We work cross-functionally with A&R, marketing, fan engagement, commerce, and finance to structure deals and further strengthen relationships with our artists. We also field inquiries in connection with U.S. catalog repertoire, manage both pre-litigation claims and litigations in conjunction with WMG’s corporate litigation in-house counsel, and enforce WMG’s rights in connection with the same. We also collaborate closely with our affiliated labels Atlantic, Elektra, and Warner Records as well as WMG’s corporate teams.

The Global Catalog Legal Operations and Rights Administration Group is a subdivision of Rhino Entertainment Company’s Business & Legal Affairs Department and is responsible for researching and advising on WMG’s rights to exploit its existing catalog recording assets in response to queries from various WMG label teams,including WMG’s Synch and Master Use Licensing groups, handling direct inquiries and from third parties, and all manner of rights and contract administration. We work closely with employees in the Business Affairs, Finance, Production, Operations, New Media, and Marketing departments of each label client to fulfill the above-referenced responsibilities for the recordings and records those labels release.

Your role:

This position will conduct general legal research pertaining to WMG’s rights in its existing recording agreements and advise various internal business units regarding those rights and recording agreements. In addition, this role will field, research, answer, and resolve inquiries from both internal business units and artists, producers, and other third parties. Lastly, this position assists with the management of incoming claims and the enforcement of WMG’s recorded music rights.

Here you’ll get to:

• Draft, review and approve letters of direction for payee changes from recording artists, producers, and other third party royalty participants and their representatives
• Review Estate documentation for recording artists, producers and other third party royalty participants and draft letters of direction for estates/beneficiaries, where needed
• Assist the corporate in-house litigation team by performing legal research
• Review, analyze and interpret various provisions in the recording agreements that govern WMG’s existing catalog recordings, and accurately and succinctly communicate findings to appropriate individual or department
• Conduct chain of title review and provide concise analysis
• Prepare contract summaries of the recording and other agreements that govern WMG’s existing catalog recording assets
• Review accounting and royalty provisions in recording and other agreements and work with finance/royalty teams to ensure that payment requirements are met
• Perform general legal research pertaining to WMG’s rights in its existing recording agreements
• Perform such other duties and tasks related to the Business & Legal Affairs Department’s role and responsibilities as reasonably may be required
  
  

About you:

• Able to distill and explain research to requesting parties outside the legal team
• Problem solver, with the ability to find timely and creative solutions to unique issues and assignments
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills
• Outstanding analytical, mathematical, and organizational skills
• Strong legal and Internet research skills
• Works well independently and as part of a team
• Meet deadlines consistently and effectively while working under pressure
• Manage multiple assignments at any given time and prioritize them effectively and appropriately
  
  

We’d love it if you also had:

• Strong computer skills and strong proficiency using both Microsoft Office and Google Workspace
• Bachelor’s degree required
• Paralegal certification or equivalent legal experience required
• 1 to 3 years of experience working in a position or positions involving the review, analysis and interpretation of recording agreements and other music industry agreements
  
  

As the home to 10K Projects, Asylum, Atlantic Music Group, East West, FFRR, Fueled by Ramen, Nonesuch, Parlophone, Rhino, Roadrunner, Sire, Warner Records, Warner Classics, and several other of the world’s premier recording labels, Warner Music Group champions emerging artists and global superstars alike. And our renowned publishing company, Warner Chappell Music, represents genre-spanning songwriters and producers through a catalogue of more than one million copyrights worldwide. Warner Music Group is also home to ADA, which supports the independent community, as well as artist services division WMX. In addition, WMG counts film and television storytelling powerhouse Warner Music Entertainment among its many brands.

Together, we are Warner Music Group: Independent Minds. Major Sound.

Love this job and want to apply?

Click the “Apply” link at the top of the page or apply directly with your LinkedIn. Applying with LinkedIn will import all of the information you put in your profile but will still allow you to upload a resume and cover letter.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear from us right away. We’re taking our time to review all resumes, and to find the best people for WMG.

Thanks for your interest in working for WMG. We love it here, and think you will, too.

Effective October 1st, 2023, this position will require being in the office 4 days a week. We believe that an in-office presence is critical for talent development, collaboration and building strong relationships.