Erika Savage
Practice Areas
- Music
- Entertainment Law
- Intellectual Property
Biography
Erika Savage is a transactional attorney in the firm’s Entertainment Department with over 25 years of music industry experience. She has handled a wide array of recorded music, joint venture, digital distribution, live performance, influencer marketing, branding, and endorsement agreements.
Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Savage served as SVP Global Music Operations for United Talent Agency where she oversaw all operational aspects of the global touring division including heading the Business Affairs team, strategic planning, negotiating all executive employment agreements and supervising the music agent training program. Before working in live touring, she served as SVP Partnership Development for Forma Brands, a beauty portfolio company owned by private equity, negotiating highly successful beauty collaborations and launching cosmetic brands with top-tier talent.
Prior to working in the brand space, Ms. Savage was a record label executive for 19 years at Universal Music Group, the world’s largest music company. She served as SVP Strategic Development at Interscope Records where she headed the label’s non-record revenue business developing integrated artist brand strategies across music, brand partnerships, merchandise and touring. As a Business Affairs executive at Interscope Records, she negotiated recording agreements and handled the day-to-day Business Affairs of various multiplatinum artists. Ms. Savage began her career at Universal Music Canada as an eCommerce attorney focused on digital distribution platforms, negotiating the launch of iTunes, on-demand video streaming and mobile ringtones.
Ms. Savage has been recognized by Billboard Magazine as an Executive Honoree on the Women In Music list.
Ms. Savage graduated from the University of Toronto (B.A. in Sociology and Gender Studies, with High Distinction 1995) and Osgoode Hall law school in Toronto (J.D. 1998).
Education
- York University, Osgoode Hall Law School, North York, Ontario
- J.D. - 1998
- University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- B.A. (Hon) - 1995
- Honors: With High Distinction
Bar Admission
- California, 2024
- Canada, 2000
Current Employment Position
- Of Counsel
Professional Associations
- Member, Creative Council, The Center For Reproductive Rights
- Member, Law Society of Ontario
- Member, She is the Music
Honors
- Billboard Magazine, Women in Music List (2023, 2022 and 2018)
- University of Toronto, Arbor Award, for outstanding alumni volunteer contributions (2019)
- Billboard Magazine, named one of "Five Executives On the Rise", Women in Music ed. (2017)
Speaking Engagements And Mentions
- Speaker, USC Gould School of Law “Entertainment Law and Industry” course, guest music lecturer, 2023.
- Speaker, “Real Talk: Building A Career in Music Today”, NeueHouse Hollywood 2023.
- The Zoe Report, “Morphe's Free To Be Collection Is Giving Back To GLSEN For Pride” 2020.
- Billboard, “Saweetie Channels Her Inner Festival Queen with Morphe” 2020.
- Women’s Wear Daily, “Incubation and Influencer Evolution: Forma Brands” 2020.
- Hollywood Reporter, “Elizabeth Banks to Lead Center for Reproductive Rights Creative Council” 2019.
- LawyerLife, “Blazing Your Own Trail ft. Erika Savage” podcast interview, 2019.
- Speaker, “Leading the Next Generation: Panel & Discussion with the Women of Interscope” hosted by Women in Music, L.A. Chapter, Grammy Museum, 2018.
- Speaker, “Making Music Work For You In Online Videos: A How-To Session On Issues Faced By Content Creators” VidXB Online Video Conference, Dubai, UAE, 2017.