Amy Ortner joins Primary Wave Music as its General Counsel and member of Senior Executive Team.
Ortner will be based at the company’s Los Angeles office and will be responsible for structuring, negotiating and drafting agreements for the company’s acquisitions of 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.
Ortner joins Primary Wave Music after more than two decades of private law practice, most recently with Loeb & Loeb LLP where she was a core part of their music and entertainment group for 20 years.
At Loeb & Loeb LLP, she handled a number of Primary Wave Music’s acquisitions, including the Piano Guys, Chynna Phillips, and Carnie Wilson, among others.
Ortner has previously represented an 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.
These include 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.
Ortner 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.
Before becoming a lawyer, Ortner worked in business affairs at BMG Entertainment.
“I am thrilled to join this group of dynamic and talented innovators.”
Amy Ortner
“I am thrilled to join this group of dynamic and talented innovators.
“I look forward to helping Larry and team execute on their vision for Primary Wave’s iconic artist partners and extraordinary assets.”
“Amy has been part of our extended family for many years.”
Ramon Villa
Ramon Villa, Chief Operating Officer at Primary Wave Music, said: “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.”
In 2020, Primary Wave Music made headlines after it entered into a partnership with Olivia Newton-John and acquired a stake in the music publishing rights and recording revenue of Justin Hayward of English rock band The Moody Blues.
Perhaps most memorably, it acquired a majority stake in the song catalog of Stevie Nicks.
More recently, Primary Wave has acquired music publishing and master rights from the likes of Grammy-nominated songwriter, producer, and longtime Madonna collaborator Patrick Leonard.Music Business Worldwide
