Senior Counsel

Your Role:

The Senior Counsel will be a key member of the APMG/MPR/SCPR Legal and Business Affairs team, working operationally and strategically to provide quality legal counsel and creative business support at the company's headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota. This position is responsible for a heavy transaction flow in connection with journalism, music and entertainment programming contracts, intellectual property licenses, new business ventures, and deal terms and licensing of digital content. The role will take primary responsibility for our Music Services (including YourClassical.org and The Current) but will also have significant involvement in all other legal/business affairs areas.

Application Deadline: December 5, 2023

Job Location: St. Paul, MN

Expected Compensation Range: $120,500 - $147,300/yr. Exact salary determined by experience and education related to the role, organizational compensation structure and internal equity.

Position Responsibility:

• Assist the General Counsel in researching, planning and administering organization-wide legal policies to protect the organization's rights and ensure that all operations are in legal compliance.
• Counsel senior leadership and staff on legal and business matters, providing advice on both general and specific issues related to all aspects of the organization and its operations, including company strategies and their implementation.
• Assist in matters dealing with employment and labor law, support company's human resources department with day-to-day advice and counsel, compliance, and internal investigations, as needed.
• Provide oversight to outside counsel, consultants, and other professional service providers; manage related costs.
• Provide ongoing counseling regarding content development, production, and distribution, including music content and other business ventures, as needed. This will include drafting, reviewing and negotiating a variety of legal agreements such as content licensing agreements, co-production agreements, joint ventures, recording agreements, distribution agreements, and digital media agreements. This position will serve as the primary liaison with NPR for the SAG/AFTRA national production agreement and the AFofM agreement negotiations and oversee the work of paralegals with respect to intellectual property clearances and the CPB SoundExchange agreement.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with third-party companies, labels, artists, studios, publishers, producers, various guilds and music/performance associations (e.g., SAG-AFTRA, AFM).
• Structure, draft and negotiate complicated technology, distribution, licensing, marketing and other agreements and provide ongoing legal counseling in a wide range of legal areas, including talent management, guild agreements, employment issues, intellectual property, digital media and regulatory compliance.
• Liaise with other departments of the APMG family to advise on rights issues and ensure compliance with contractual and legal obligations, including being embedded in the Music Services departments.
• Supervise rights clearance process and archival licensing process of paralegals.
• Develop and oversee implementation and management of digital rights asset management system for APMG-wide intellectual property.
• Oversee completion of production handbook for producers.
• Researching music ownership and negotiating with labels and music publishers for Classical and The Current business initiatives.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree and Juris Doctor (JD) Degree required.
• 7-10+ years of relevant work experience; including work within or as outside counsel to national media companies and nonprofit organizations, with particular emphasis on broadcasting issues, news and reporting in a digital age, intellectual property, and broad-based tax-exempt matters.
• Admitted to MN bar or eligible for admission.

Required Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:

• In-depth knowledge of agreements relating to the distribution, sales, marketing and financing of recorded music and audio/visual product preferred (including in digital formats and channels), including familiarity with music publishing and other music industry issues
• Understanding of nonprofit legal matters, including federal and state regulatory issues.
• Demonstrated experience advising clients in structuring complex transactions, including broadcast and new media content.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage several simultaneous projects under deadline pressure.
• Experience in drafting licenses and intellectual property agreements, guild management and sponsorship requirements.
• Knowledge of all laws applicable to protect company against legal risks
• Strong analytical skills
• Strong communication skills dealing with senior management, external contacts, human resources and all levels of employees.
• Ability to negotiate on behalf of the company and also internally to accommodate supervisory requests while minimizing legal risks.
• Professional with a demonstrated ability to exercise a high degree of sensitivity, discretion and confidentiality.
• Strong computer skills including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• Labor & Employment Law experience
• Admission to the California bar.
• Five to ten years transactional music business experience or other related experience preferred.

Reporting to This Position:

N/A

Physical Demands and Working Conditions:

• Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation
• Required to move about in an office environment and sit for extended periods of time
• Some travel required
• Moderate noise level

APMG offers a comprehensive benefits package including Medical plans with HSA and FSA options, Dental, Vision, Life and AD&D, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, Paid Parental Leave and Paid Caregiver Leave after 1 year, Vacation (3 wks/per year, pro-rated, based on hours worked), Sick time (12 days, pro-rated, based on hours worked), Holiday Pay (10 holidays + 2 floating holidays each year), Volunteer Time (8 hours per year), Long-Term Care and Critical Illness insurance options, Employee Assistance Program, 403(b) Retirement Plan, and more.

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply.