LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) — Universal Music Publishing has promoted David Kokakis to the role of Senior Vice President, Head of Business & Legal Affairs/Business Development.
In his expanded role, Kokakis will continue ot guide UMG's contract negotiations with new and existing songwriters, as well as monitoring copyright infringements, and negotiating new digital media agreements.
Kokakis will report directly to Mr. Lamberg and will be based in the company’s headquarters in Santa Monica, California.
While at UMPG, Kokakis’ negotiated exclusive publishing agreements for independent music giant Cash Money Records and its publishing affiliate Money Mack Music (bringing hundreds of Cash Money/Money Mack Music copyrights into UMPG, including from such artists as Nicki Minaj); Glassnote Entertainment/Four Song Night Publishing; GloJoe Music (the music publishing enterprise of Vincent Herbert that signed Lady Gaga’s collaborator DJ White Shadow; Aware Records (Gregg Latterman); Desmond Child (prolific songwriter, producer and hit-maker of more than seventy Top 40 singles); Philip Lawrence (of the hit-making production trio The Smeezingtons); and Jackie Evancho (of “America’s Got Talent, named the top selling debut artist of 2010), among many others.
Prior to joining Universal Music Publishing Group in 2009, Mr. Kokakis practiced entertainment law for over a decade at various firms, including Greenberg Traurig, and also served as an executive for several years at an entertainment branding and management company whose clients included television celebrities, entertainers, authors, a book publishing imprint and professional athletes. – Staff Writers
