Exceleration Music
Legal Counsel, UK & Europe
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The Company
Exceleration Music is a global music venture focused on investing in and providing personalized solutions to independent labels, artists, and music entrepreneurs. The Company strives to be a record company for the future, based on flexibility, deep values, and a passion for independent culture. Exceleration is building a team to support that journey and make a difference across a broad range of music genres. Driven by a core mission to respect, preserve, and enhance the legacies and cultural identity of a growing list of artist and label partners, Exceleration cares deeply about company culture and is committed to providing a working environment that is inclusive and promotes collaboration and contribution.
The Opportunity
Legal Counsel, UK & Europe: We are seeking a highly capable and hands-on Legal Counsel to join our lean, global legal team. In addition to serving as the primary legal point of contact for Cooking Vinyl in the UK, you will be a fully integrated team member supporting our broader label group, Redeye’s UK and ex-US distribution matters, international expansion, acquisition activities, and general corporate needs. This position requires at least five years of substantive experience as detailed below. The ideal candidate will thrive in an open, communicative culture, managing matters end-to-end and willingly pitching in to support the department on everything from daily administrative workflows to high-level drafting and negotiation.
Duties/Responsibilities
Global Team Integration & Strategy
- Operate seamlessly alongside the US-based legal team, managing workflows across the entire global group rather than focusing exclusively on a single label.
- Support M&A transactions, catalog acquisitions, and corporate expansion by conducting legal due diligence, integration efforts, and contract review for UK, European, and other regional targets.
- Manage the majority of drafting, research, and negotiation in-house to minimize outside counsel spend.
Drafting, Negotiation & Matter Management
- Draft, negotiate, and conclude artist contracts, amendments, licenses, sample and interpolation clearances, and third-party contributor agreements (e.g., side artist and producer agreements) for Cooking Vinyl and other Exceleration labels.
- Review and negotiate DSP agreements and local vendor contracts, and assist with broader music distribution matters.
- Manage the end-to-end execution process, including routing agreements via digital signing platforms, filing executed copies, and maintaining legal databases.
- Draft contract summaries for new releases to ensure accurate communication to the wider business, leveraging shared intern support for catalog summaries.
- Support the Rights Administration team by monitoring release dates and tracking expiring contracts and licenses.
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Enforcement, Privacy & Compliance
- Manage UK and ex-US/European enforcement efforts in collaboration with our external consultant, overseeing communications, settlements, chain of title, and rights provenance.
- Advise the business on regional jurisdictional differences, providing guidance on UK/EU privacy laws (GDPR), data protection, employment, and general compliance matters.
Cross-Functional Support
- Provide day-to-day legal support directly to A&R, marketing, and finance teams across the global roster.
- Review artist and ancillary music agreements to advise internal teams on contractual interpretation.
- Collaborate closely with US-based Finance and Royalties teams to ensure accurate artist statementing and resolve discrepancies directly.
Supervisory Responsibilities
None
Required Skills/Abilities
- Communication and collaboration skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills paired with a highly collaborative mindset. Demonstrates a readiness to welcome input from others, share expertise, and step in to handle general company matters outside of the primary UK jurisdiction when the wider global team requires support.
- Technical or job-specific expertise: Minimum of five years PQE (Post-Qualified Experience) in music/entertainment law, ideally with a mix of label and distribution experience. Exhibits a strong preference for executing work directly, managing matters efficiently in-house, and taking ownership of all aspects of matter management.
- Software proficiency (as applicable): Highly organized and comfortable handling document formatting, rights tracking, and administrative tasks, paired with a proactive willingness to learn new concepts and systems. Familiar and proficient in using AI as an effective tool to support efficient drafting and workflows, while exercising appropriate oversight and professional judgment.
- Professionalism, adaptability, and positive attitude: Proven ability to thrive as an independent operator in a lean, small-company environment. Highly detail-oriented and proactive, with the ability to manage multiple projects concurrently while maintaining a team-oriented mindset.
- Ability to work effectively in a remote or onsite environment, collaborating seamlessly with team members across varying global time zones.
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Education and Experience
- Required: Qualified Solicitor in England and Wales (or equivalent UK legal qualification) with a minimum of five years PQE in music/entertainment law.
- Preferred: A mix of in-house record label and music distribution experience.
Position Location
Hybrid: Camden Office (London) and working from home
Hours
Full time, Permanent
Salary
Subject to experience
Diversity and Equal Opportunity
Exceleration Music is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, age, or any other status protected by law. Further, the Company strives to create a diverse, welcoming, equitable, and inclusive environment for all applicants, employees, member companies, and partners.
How to Apply
To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to careers@excmusic.com with "Legal Counsel" in the subject line. Please include your current or most recent salary in the cover letter or resume.
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