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Senior Commercial Counsel - Retail, Licensing & Partnerships

United States, New York, New York

About Sony Music Entertainment

At Sony Music Entertainment, we fuel the creative journey. We’ve played a pioneering role in music history, from the first-ever music label to the invention of the flat disc record. We’ve nurtured some of music’s most iconic artists and produced some of the most influential recordings of all time.

Today, we work in more than 70 countries, supporting a diverse roster of international superstars, developing and independent artists, and visionary creators. From our position at the intersection of music, entertainment, and technology, we bring imagination and expertise to the newest products and platforms, embrace new business models, employ breakthrough tools, and provide powerful insights that help our artists push creative boundaries and reach new audiences. In everything we do, we’re committed to artistic integrity, transparency, and entrepreneurship.

Sony Music Entertainment is a member of the Sony family of global companies.

We are seeking a Senior Commercial Counsel - Retail, Licensing & Partnerships to join the Ceremony of Roses Legal & Business Affairs team. This role will serve as the primary legal owner for retail, licensing, and commercial partnership activities, while also supporting select artist-facing deals, vendor agreements, and legal operations initiatives. The ideal candidate is a commercially minded attorney who can independently lead complex negotiations, advise business partners with confidence, and help ensure the legal function operates efficiently and at scale. This position reports directly to the VP, Head of Legal & Business Affairs.

What you'll do:

  • Serve as the primary legal lead for retail/wholesale, licensing, and commercial partnership initiatives, including drafting, negotiating, and managing a wide range of agreements, including licensing and brand partnerships, retail and distribution agreements, fulfillment and manufacturing agreements, and vendor and services contracts.
  • Support and negotiate select artist and brand rights agreements.
  • Advise business teams on deal structure, rights scope, financial terms, and operational considerations.
  • Continuously assess and improve legal and business operations by spotting risks and inefficiencies and optimizing contract structures, templates, and workflow processes.
  • Any other special projects or legal projects as requested by senior management or department head.

Who you are:

  • Active bar membership in good standing with 8–12+ years of relevant in-house legal experience
  • Deep experience in music and entertainment merchandising, including artist, brand, retail, and licensing relationships, with a strong focus on merchandise‑driven businesses
  • Demonstrated expertise negotiating and drafting retail, licensing, partnerships, and complex commercial agreements, balancing legal risk with business objectives in a fast‑moving, commercially focused environment.
  • Highly collaborative and solutions‑oriented, with strong relationship‑building skills, excellent communication, and a proactive ability to spot issues and recommend improvements to contracts, processes, and overall systems
 

What we give you:

  • You join an inclusive, collaborative and global community where you have the opportunity to channel your passion every day  
  • A modern office environment designed to foster productivity, creativity, and teamwork empowering you to bring your best 
  • An attractive and comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life & disability coverage, and 401K + employer matching 
  • Voluntary benefits like company-paid identity theft protection and resources for pets, mental health and meditation resources, industry-leading fertility coverage, fully paid leave for childbirth or bonding, fully paid leave for caregivers, programs for loved ones with developmental disabilities and neurodiversity, subsidized back-up child and elder care, and reimbursement for adoption, surrogacy, tuition, and student loans 
  • Investment in your professional growth and development enabling you to thrive in our vibrant community.  
  • The space to accelerate progress, positively disrupt, and create what happens next  
  • Time off for a winter recess

Sony Music is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of age, disability, national origin, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, veteran or military status, marital and civil partnership/union status, alienage or citizenship status, creed, genetic information or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

The anticipated annual base salary does not include any other compensation components or other benefits that an individual may be eligible for.  The actual base salary offered depends on a variety of factors, which may include as applicable, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, specific and unique skills, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job.

New York Pay Range

$170,000 - $200,000 USD

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