VP, Legal

New York, USA (Hybrid)

$220K/yr – $250K/yrSenior Level8+ years expFull time

Posted 3 months ago

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Job Summary

Drive strategic legal leadership for UnitedMasters as Chief Legal Officer, owning governance across IP, licensing, and global deals to enable growth.

  • Owns and aligns the legal function across IP, licensing, and international expansion to enable growth.
  • Must-have: JD and 8–15 years in entertainment/IP with in-house and/or major firm experience.
  • Standout: Leads cross-functional teams and outside counsel with strategic executive influence.

Job Description

Responsibilities

  • Partner directly with the C-suite and senior leadership to provide strategic legal guidance and risk analysis on key initiatives and company direction.
  • Structure and advise on complex commercial arrangements, including distribution, licensing, partnerships, and strategic transactions.
  • Serve as a senior legal advisor across the full enterprise, including music distribution, product and technology, international expansion, sync and licensing, corporate strategy, business development, advertising, and supporting shared services (HR, Finance, IT).
  • Manage the internal legal team, setting priorities, allocating resources, and elevating overall legal function performance.
  • Partner and coordinate with outside counsel, ensuring efficient execution, cost management, and alignment with company objectives.
  • Lead development and implementation of scalable legal frameworks, policies, and best practices across the organization
  • Guide product, technology, and international teams on launches, expansion, and regulatory considerations
  • Oversee and manage enforcing rights, dispute resolution strategy, including pre-litigation, litigation, and settlement approach.
  • Ensure the company operates with a practical, business-forward legal posture that enables growth rather than restricts it

Requirements

  • Background in IP, media, technology, music and/or entertainment law, with strong commercial instincts.
  • Proven ability to operate at a strategic level, advising executives and influencing business outcomes while maintaining strong relationships internally and externally.
  • Experience managing or leading legal teams and partnering with outside counsel.
  • Deep understanding of commercial deal structures, rights frameworks, and global business operations.
  • Strong judgment, with the ability to balance legal risk against business objectives.
  • Effective communicator, excellent writer, and outward leader who can translate complex legal concepts into clear, actionable guidance.
  • Comfortable operating cross-functionally with product, finance, HR, marketing, and business teams.
  • Proficiency with AI-powered legal tools and workflows (e.g., contract review/analysis, legal research, and document automation), with the ability to leverage emerging technologies to improve legal efficiency, scalability, and decision-making.
  • J.D. from an accredited law school, admitted and in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction, preferably NY.
  • 8 to 15 years of experience, with a mix of reputable entertainment law firm and in-house experience

Benefits

  • bonus
  • stock options
  • 401(k) match
  • etc.

Headcount Trend

Current headcount: ~1.5K

Marketing Team

Marketing Team Size
942 (61% of company)

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