Mid-Level Entertainment Attorney
Department: Business Affairs
Type of Employment: Full-Time
Location: New York City preferable, Nashville also considered
Reports To: COO
Salary Range: $161,000- $203,000
Job Summary:
Firebird is seeking a Mid-Level Entertainment Attorney with 5-7 years of experience to join our legal team. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in entertainment law, with a focus on recorded music, music publishing, and intellectual property.
This role involves drafting and negotiating contracts, advising clients on legal and business matters, and ensuring compliance with industry regulations, and it requires a highly organized, detail-oriented professional with strong contract drafting and negotiation skills, as well as the ability to support attorneys in complex entertainment transactions.
Key Responsibilities
- Draft, negotiate, and review music industry agreements, including:
- Recording and publishing contracts
- Licensing and distribution deals (streaming, sync, mechanical, digital)
- Management and agency agreements
- Live performance, touring, and festival contracts
- Brand partnerships, endorsements, and sponsorships
- Create legal workflows and internal systems
- Integrate with finance and recorded music teams to build strong workflows between legal, underwriting, financial, and operational functions.
- Oversee support staff including paralegals and legal interns
- Advise clients on intellectual property matters, including copyright, trademark, and licensing strategies.
- Provide legal support on music rights clearance and royalty structures.
- Ensure compliance with industry regulations, including those set by ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, SoundExchange, and other performing rights organizations.
- Assist with contract disputes, pre-litigation negotiations, and risk management.
- Stay updated on trends in music technology, AI, and digital rights management.
- Collaborate with industry stakeholders, including labels, publishers, streaming platforms, and artist teams.
Qualifications
- J.D. from an accredited law school.
- Active bar membership in NY, CA, and/or TN (or ability to qualify for in-house registration if required).
- 3-7 years of experience in music law, ideally within a law firm, record label, music publisher, talent agency, or entertainment company.
- Strong knowledge of music industry contracts, intellectual property law, and digital rights.
- Experience negotiating complex deals within the streaming, distribution, and publishing sectors.
- Excellent communication, drafting, and analytical skills.
- Ability to work independently while collaborating with creative and business teams.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with international music law and global licensing agreements.
- Familiarity with AI, NFTs, and emerging digital music trends.
- Passion for music and a strong network in the industry.
About Firebird:
Firebird is a next generation music company providing career and brand guidance to over 1,000 artists worldwide to help them develop and grow broader global audiences and build longer lasting, higher impact, more profitable careers.
Redefining the intersection of music, technology and finance, Firebird has rich expertise across the spectrum of artist management and intellectual property creation, from traditional endeavors like touring and recording, to cutting edge marketing and consumer product development, to emerging digital platforms from gaming to AI.
Firebird’s roster of partners includes some of the most important companies across the various aspects of the music landscape today including Red Light Management, Mick Management, Transgressive, Defected, Ntertain, Tape Room, Easier Said and many more.