Counsel

Job Overview

The Counsel or Senior Counsel will support the Business & Legal Affairs (“BALA”) and Membership Departments with a variety of business affairs and legal responsibilities related to member affiliations and distributions, including drafting and negotiating songwriter and composer agreements with music lawyers and other representatives of ASCAP members. The role reports to the SVP, Membership and Business & Legal Affairs and is positioned in the Business & Legal Affairs department. This is a hybrid role with a 3 day per week in-office requirement based out of the ASCAP New York headquarters.

Areas Of Responsibility & Accountability

• Responsible for the drafting, negotiating, closing and day-to-day management of all long-form member agreements, NDAs, letters of direction, letter agreements and amendments.
• Providing legal support for ASCAP’s Repertory and Distribution Departments regarding ASCAP rules, policies, and procedures.
• Assisting the Global Member Services (“GMS”) and Member Inquiry & Resolution Services (“MIRS”) teams with escalated complex member transactions, including royalty assignments, works licensing questions, and distribution/royalty issues.
• Supporting MIRS team with guidance on member estate matters, including reviewing and summarizing estate documents, and recommending designation of a successor(s).
• Supporting the SVP, Membership and Business & Legal Affairs in executing strategy to achieve departmental and organizational goals, including long-term growth in market share and revenue.
• Special legal projects as assigned by senior staff.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Minimum of two years (Counsel) or five years (Senior Counsel) of relevant law firm and/or in house experience required.
• Juris Doctor (J.D.) required. Must be licensed and in good standing to practice law in New York State.
• Prior experience working in the music business or other creative field a plus.
• Excellent drafting, negotiation and organizational skills, as well as excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to develop highly effective and productive working relationships externally and internally throughout ASCAP.
• Ability to learn fast and have a commonsense approach to decision-making.
• A strong work ethic and a bias towards action, change and speed.
• Impeccable ethics and adherence to confidentiality obligations.

Compensation/Benefits

Besides providing a unique and dynamic work environment, there are a few other reasons you should consider ASCAP in your career planning. We also offer generous benefit options that are comprehensive and provide the flexibility that most employees want and need. These health care and financial plan options include the following:

• A choice of either network-only provider medical and dental plans or more flexible medical and dental plans where you can see providers in or out-of-network
• Vision plan that offers both in and out-of-network provider options
• 401(k) Plan that offers pre-tax, Roth, and an after-tax employee contribution option which includes a company match.
• An additional employer paid discretionary profit share contribution, regardless of your participation in the 401(k) Plan
• Generous time-off policy
• 12 company holidays
• 16 hours to volunteer with ASCAP Notes the Cause Volunteer Program
• Health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• Short-term disability insurance/salary continuation and long-term disability insurance
• Company provided basic life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance
• Employee gym discounts at select gyms
• Commuter benefits
• Voluntary pet health insurance
• Voluntary auto and homeowners insurance
• Voluntary employee, spouse, and dependent life insurance options
• Voluntary ID protection Coverage

Pay

The anticipated base salary range for this position is $190,000 to $240,000 and will be determined on an individualized basis depending on several factors that are unique to each candidate including geographic location (due to differences in the cost of labor), skills, education and prior relevant experience.