Primary Wave Music is pleased to announce the addition of Amy Ortner, who joins the company as General Counsel and a member of the Senior Executive Team. Amy will be based out of the company’s Los Angeles office and will be responsible for structuring, negotiating and drafting agreements for the company’s acquisitions of iconic music catalogs. She also will handle contract negotiations and other legal matters for Primary Wave Music’s publishing division, as well as its artist management, film & TV, marketing, and branding divisions. Amy joins Primary Wave Music after more than two decades of private law practice, most recently with Loeb & Loeb LLP where she was an integral part of their music and entertainment group for 20 years. While there she handled a number of Primary Wave Music’s acquisitions including the Piano Guys, Chynna Phillips, and Carnie Wilson, among others.
“I am thrilled to join this group of dynamic and talented innovators,” says Ortner. She continues, “I look forward to helping Larry and team execute on their vision for Primary Wave’s iconic artist partners and extraordinary assets.”
Ramon Villa, Chief Operating Officer at Primary Wave Music adds, “Amy has been part of our extended family for many years and recently helped usher several acquisitions on our behalf. She is a pleasure in life and in work. We are very happy to now have her with us day to day helping build our growing marketing and artist initiatives.”
Throughout her career, Amy has represented a broad array of domestic and international entertainment clients, including major and independent music publishers and recorded music companies, entrepreneurs, private equity funds, and closely held family businesses, often in connection with the sale or acquisition of significant music enterprises and assets (among them, Warner Music Group, The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, BMG Music Publishing, Arc Music Corp., PULSE, Criterion Music Corporation, the music publishing catalogs of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Lionsgate, and Saban Capital Group, various songwriter catalogs, and music booking and personal management firms). Amy also served as music industry counsel with respect to investments, financings, and securities offerings. Additional areas of focus included ventures with talent (including high-profile branded entertainment transactions), personal management agreements, and content licensing. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Amy worked in business affairs at BMG Entertainment. Amy received her A.B. from Washington University in St. Louis, and her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law. She is admitted to the New York and California bars and is based in Los Angeles.