Women's Connection

WOMEN’S CONNECTION Issue #12 July 2013 LETTER FROM THE WOMEN’S COMMITTEE CHAIRS This edition of the Women’s Connection profiles four Simpson Thacher alumnae who now work in-house at Sony Music Entertainment: Alison Dow, Natalie Margulies, Susan A. Meisel and Julie Rappaport. We are delighted to report that Simpson Thacher has once again received the Women in Law Empowerment Forum’s Gold Standard Certification, which recognizes law firms Maripat Alpuche Lori E. Lesser that are committed to advancing women into leadership positions. This marks the third Women’s Committee Chairs consecutive year that the Firm has been awarded this honor. Have a wonderful summer! —Maripat Alpuche and Lori E. Lesser ALUMNAE PROFILE SIMPSON “ROCK STARS” AT SONY MUSIC: A CONVERSATION WITH ALISON DOW, NATALIE MARGULIES, SUSAN MEISEL AND JULIE RAPPAPORT Sony Music Entertainment represents some of the biggest names in the music industry, from contemporary artists such as Adele, Daft Punk, Justin Timberlake, PitBull, Alicia Keys, Carrie Underwood, and Ke$ha to old-school favorites like Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Paul Simon, Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston. It is home to a range of L-R: Natalie Margulies, Julie Rappaport, Susan premier record labels, including Columbia, A. Meisel and Alison Dow RCA and Epic, and for years, an in-house 1 Sony Music also currently employs Michael J. legal roster of Simpson Thacher alumni. Roberson (STB ’88-’93), Vice President of Business Sony Music currently employs four & Legal Affairs and L. Jeff Walker (STB ’88- Simpson Thacher alumnae: Alison Dow ’91), Executive Vice President & Head, Business (STB ’99-’04), Director, Business & Legal & Legal Affairs of the Global Digital Business group. Over the past decade, Sony Music has also Affairs in Sony Music’s Global Digital employed Kristopher E. Ahrend (STB ’98-’01), Business group; Natalie Margulies (STB Marcel C. Garaud (STB ’91-’94), John A. Ingrassia ’00-’02), Vice President, Business & Legal (STB ’85-’88), Michelle N. Jubelirer (STB ’99-’03), Affairs in the Global Digital Business and Matthew S. Lansburgh (STB ’05-’06). simpsonthacher.com Simpson Thacher Women’s Connection, July 2013 page 2 group; Susan A. Meisel (STB ’86-’92), agreement with Apple for its recently Senior Vice President and Corporate announced (and yet-to-be launched) Deputy General Counsel; and Julie digital radio service and its agreement Rappaport (STB ’01-’05), Vice President, with Google for Google’s newly launched Business & Legal Affairs, Columbia audio subscription streaming service, Records.1 intended to compete with Spotify and Susan Meisel oversees corporate other music subscription streaming transactions and legal policy worldwide services. For Dow, who joined Sony Music for Sony Music. As head of the company’s a year ago after working at long-time transactional team, she handles Simpson Thacher client Virgin Mobile acquisitions, joint ventures and other (later acquired by Sprint), her new role in strategic initiatives. Meisel also oversees the Global Digital Business group has Sony Music’s 200+ worldwide subsidiaries given her a “comprehensive view of how and manages its entire trademark music is consumed.” Recently, she portfolio, among other responsibilities. completed a deal with Microsoft for its Most recently, Meisel handled Sony new Xbox Music service, which is an all- Music’s investment and global partnership in-one music service that lets users agreement with Ultra Records, the world’s download and stream music from PCs, leading electronic and dance music label. mobile devices and televisions via a She also represented Sony’s interests in subscription streaming model and a connection with combining the locker model, among other things. independent label digital distribution Julie Rappaport works for Columbia businesses of IODA and The Orchard. A Records, a record label owned by Sony highlight of Meisel’s career at Sony Music Music. “I negotiate contracts with artists was attending the 2013 Grammy Awards, who sign with Columbia Records,” including Sony Music’s exclusive after- explains Rappaport. “I also handle their party. contracts throughout their tenure with Alison Dow and Natalie Margulies Columbia Records.” Many of the artists work together in the Global Digital Rappaport has worked with are household Business group to license content to digital names, such as John Mayer (whom service providers. They represent Sony Rappaport met face-to-face when he came Music in video and audio deals with in for his signing), AC/DC, Bob Dylan established digital music companies, such and Big Time Rush (a tween favorite). as iTunes, YouTube, Google and Spotify, Most recently, Rappaport negotiated a and start-ups, such as Turntable.fm and recording agreement with an up-and- Rdio. “What Natalie and Alison do is very coming artist professionally known as cutting edge,” explains Meisel. “Because “Haim,” consisting of three sisters (and there is no precedent for many of the new their drummer, a “mister”), on track to business models they encounter, release their first album this summer. negotiating agreements involves plenty of Reflecting on how the business has creative thinking and writing.” Recently, changed, Rappaport notes that Columbia Margulies worked on Sony Music’s is now reluctant to sign an artist unless simpsonthacher.com Simpson Thacher Women’s Connection, July 2013 page 3 the deal is a “360° deal” in which Sony The work tends to be fast-paced, with each Music gets a share of all (or most) of such lawyer juggling multiple deals at once. artist’s income from all sources, including “Partners are constantly coming to us with from live performances. This is in contrast new services they want to add,” Dow notes. with the past, where an artist deal was Looking back at their time at Simpson limited to recording rights. As the music Thacher, all four alumnae agree that industry has evolved, and record working at the Firm gave them “instant companies continue to spend significant credibility” and access to a huge network amounts of money on marketing and of contacts. Dow credits her attention to brand development for their artists, record detail to the training she received at the companies are increasingly asking to Firm. Rappaport attributes her participate in their artists’ revenue organizational skills, her ability to manage streams beyond recorded music. people, and her “really good work ethic” Rappaport explains that, nevertheless, it’s to her time as a Simpson Thacher associate. a hard negotiation every time, covering Of course, no Sony Music interview everything from the specific categories of would be complete without a few music rights covered to whether Sony Music is recommendations. The alumnae’s current paid on the artist’s gross or net proceeds. favorites include Daft Punk, Civil Wars, As you might imagine, there are some Jack White, Sara Bareilles, Natalie Maines specific perks for being a music industry and Walk The Moon. lawyer. For one thing, no one thinks twice about wearing jeans to work or listening to music while drafting. Music industry ALUMNAE NOTES lawyers also have access to concert tickets, Please drop us a line at free music and the occasional opportunity [email protected] to let us to rub shoulders with celebrities. (For know if you’ve changed jobs, taken on a example, Rappaport attended a private new role at your company or firm, or have Adele concert at “The Box” in New York other professional news to share. We would City, where she was able to watch Adele love to mention you in the next edition, perform a mere five feet away.) But aside either as a short note or a longer profile. from these benefits, the alumnae note that one of the major upsides of working at IN-HOUSE & CORPORATE Sony Music is the chance to serve in both a Val Ackerman (STB ‘85-‘87; business affairs and legal capacity. At some Corporate): Commissioner, Big East companies, in-house counsel are Conference; Laura Janke Jaeger (STB ’97- responsible for drafting agreements only ’98; Corporate): General Counsel, Virtual after the major terms have been hammered Piggy, Inc.; Dora Jiménez (STB ’06-’13; out by the respective business team. But Corporate, Capital Markets and Securities): Sony Music’s in-house lawyers “can and do Assistant General Counsel - Chief get involved in the negotiations,” says Investments Counsel Department, New Meisel, “so we really need to understand York Life Insurance Company; Heather our business to be good at what we do.” M. Johnson (STB ’98-’08; Litigation): simpsonthacher.com Simpson Thacher Women’s Connection, July 2013 page 4 Counsel, Siemens Corporation; Berta A. District of New York—Criminal Division; Matos (STB ’06-’10; Corporate, Mergers and Rachel S. Weiss (STB ’09-’13; and Acquisitions): Legal Director - Global Litigation): Law Clerk to the Honorable Procurement, PepsiCo, Inc.; Kathryn A. Edgardo Ramos of the U.S. District Court McCarthy (STB ’03-’13; Antitrust, for the Southern District of New York. Litigation): Senior Managing Director - Technology Practice, FTI Consulting; GOVERNMENT Michele Murphy (STB ’07-’13; Corporate, Sara Schuman (STB ‘08, ’10-’13; Capital Markets and Securities): Counsel Corporate, Mergers and Acquisitions, - Global E-Commerce, Visa Inc.; Janet Asia): Office of the United States Trade Nova (STB ’93-’97; Corporate): Executive Representative, Executive Office of the Vice President and Deputy Group General President. Counsel, 21st Century Fox; Ekwutozia U. Nwabuzor (STB ’07-’13; Corporate, NON-PROFIT

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