MUSIC GROUPS

Jeff Harleston

GENERAL COUNSEL/EXECUTIVE VP OF BUSINESS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS, UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP

Saheli Datta

EXECUTIVE VP/CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER AND EMPLOYMENT, UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP

Rob Femia

EXECUTIVE VP OF BUSINESS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS, UNIVERSAL MUSIC NASHVILLE

Steve Gawley

EXECUTIVE VP OF BUSINESS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS AND EAST COAST LABEL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP

Nicola Levy

EXECUTIVE VP OF DIGITAL BUSINESS AFFAIRS, UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP

Alasdair McMullan

EXECUTIVE VP OF BUSINESS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS/ HEAD OF LITIGATION, UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP

Michael Seltzer

EXECUTIVE VP/HEAD OF COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS FOR BUSINESS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS, UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP

Magda Vives

EXECUTIVE VP OF BUSINESS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS FOR LATIN AMERICA AND IBERIAN PENINSULA, UNIVERSAL MUSIC LATIN AMERICA

In the current music industry climate, UMG’s legal team stays focused on efforts “to defend and protect the rights of our artists, songwriters and music publishing company” from generative artificial intelligence (AI) companies like Anthropic, which it sued in November over “unlawful ingestion, appropriation and infringement of legally protected works as well as the appropriation of the culture and unique identity of our songwriters,” Harleston says. “[AI] is remarkable technology and can potentially enhance the creative process. However, it should only be deployed with the consent and in the service of the artist.”

Most pressing issue “Eliminating fraudulent tracks and nonmusic sounds from the music streaming platforms,” Harleston says, “allowing for a more ‘artist-centric’ experience for creators and fans.”

Paul Robinson

EXECUTIVE VP/GENERAL COUNSEL, WARNER MUSIC GROUP

Brad Cohen

SENIOR VP/HEAD OF LITIGATION/ASSOCIATE GENERAL COUNSEL, WARNER MUSIC GROUP

Jon Glass

SENIOR VP/HEAD OF DIGITAL LEGAL AFFAIRS, WARNER MUSIC GROUP

Michael Kushner

SENIOR VP/DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL, BUSINESS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS, WARNER MUSIC GROUP

Maryrose Maness

SENIOR VP/DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL, WARNER MUSIC GROUP

Trent Tappe

SENIOR VP/DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL/CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER, WARNER MUSIC GROUP

Dana Sheahan

VP/HEAD OF MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS OF CORPORATE LEGAL, WARNER MUSIC GROUP

WMG, along with attorneys from Pryor Cashman, prevailed on behalf of Ed Sheeran in the copyright lawsuit over whether Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud,” a No. 2 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2015, copied Marvin Gaye’s 1973 classic “Let’s Get It On.” Robinson says the case is an example of the importance of the company’s dedication to “defend[ing] the rights of our artists and songwriters.” But the music group is also focused on boosting the value of those rights and music in general: “In a world where more than 100,000 new tracks are being uploaded to streaming services every day,” he says, “the most pressing issue is enhancing the value of the music of artists and songwriters such as ours that drives engagement on these services.”

Julie Swidler

EXECUTIVE VP OF BUSINESS AFFAIRS/GENERAL COUNSEL, SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT

Stu Bondell

EXECUTIVE VP OF BUSINESS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS FOR INTERNATIONAL, SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT

Wade Leak

EXECUTIVE VP/DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL/CHIEF COMPLIANCE, ETHICS AND PRIVACY OFFICER, SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT

Susan Meisel

EXECUTIVE VP/CORPORATE DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL, SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT

Jeff Walker

EXECUTIVE VP/HEAD OF BUSINESS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS FOR GLOBAL DIGITAL BUSINESS, SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT

Jennifer Womack

SENIOR VP OF BUSINESS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS FOR FILM, TELEVISION AND PODCASTS,

SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT

As streaming growth in the world’s biggest markets begins to slow, SME’s legal team is working to keep expanding the company’s opportunities around the world and in new sectors, particularly gaming and social media. “Our team works globally across Sony Music to offer legal support systems that help our labels and divisions reach their creative and commercial goals,” Swidler says. “We are focused on working to ensure that there are proper rights environments and deal frameworks that can support commercial activity and greater partnership expansion opportunities across platforms where music content is core to their customer experience.”

Advice on AI “When AI companies want to use our artists’ voices and music,” Swidler says, “they must seek permission and make sure that there is a proper business plan to pay all those in the music ecosystem that contributed to this music.”