Rand Levin Appointed Senior Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs, Universal Music Group

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Apr 19, 2012, 11:56 ET

SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Rand Levin has been appointed Senior Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs for Universal Music Group (UMG), it was announced today by Jeffrey Harleston, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, UMG, and to whom Mr. Levin reports. Mr. Levin has relocated from New York to UMG's Santa Monica headquarters, where he will be based.

In this new role, Mr. Levin will negotiate and draft entertainment industry agreements and related corporate agreements on behalf of the company and will be actively involved in corporate content acquisitions and other strategic initiatives.

"Ever since he joined UMG, Rand has consistently demonstrated leadership and real commitment to handling a variety of legal issues and putting the experience that he has gained throughout his career to our benefit," stated Mr. Harleston. "His outstanding contributions and support of our work in areas such as artist agreements and acquisitions make him an excellent addition to our corporate legal team."

"This continues to be a time of great change and opportunity within our industry," added Mr. Levin. "I am grateful to Jeff for his support and confidence. I have been very fortunate throughout my career to have worked with some of the most talented executives in the industry. I'm looking forward to continuing my career at UMG and taking on these new challenges."

Most recently, Mr. Levin served as Senior Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs for Universal Motown Republic Group and Island Def Jam Records Group, where he was actively involved in business affairs matters, transactions and strategy for the label divisions, including negotiating and structuring recording agreements, label deals and ventures, manufacturing and distribution agreements, as well as agreements concerning new media and software development. Mr. Levin was responsible for, among other matters, the label's agreements and relationships with various label partners, including Cash Money Records and Lava Records, and was an integral part of the U.S. launch of the smash hit television program, "The Voice." Previously, Mr. Levin held the positions of Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs, and Senior Director, Business & Legal Affairs, at Universal Motown Republic Group. Before joining Universal Music Group, Mr. Levin worked at Razor & Tie Entertainment as Senior Counsel, Business/Legal Affairs. In 1993, He began his career as a litigator at Robinson Silverman Pearce Aronsohn & Berman (now Bryan Cave) with a focus on intellectual property and commercial litigation and employment matters. In law school, he served as a Legal Intern at PolyGram Records.

About Universal Music Group

Universal Music Group is the world's leading music company with wholly owned operations in 60 territories. Its businesses also include Universal Music Publishing Group, the industry's leading global music publishing operation.

Universal Music Group's record labels include A&M/Octone, Decca, Def Jam Recordings, Deutsche Grammophon, Disa, Emarcy, Fonovisa, Geffen Records, Interscope Records, Island Records, Lost Highway Records, Machete Music, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Motown Records, Polydor Records, Universal Music Latino, Universal Republic and Verve Music Group as well as a multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company subsidiaries around the world. The Universal Music Group owns the most extensive catalogue of music in the industry, which includes the last 100 years of the world's most popular artists and their recordings. UMG's catalogue is marketed through two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). Universal Music Group also includes Global Digital Business, its new media and technologies division and Bravado, its merchandising company.

Universal Music Group is a unit of Vivendi, a global media and communications company.

SOURCE Universal Music Group