Jeffrey Harleston

Jeffrey Harleston is General Counsel and Executive Vice President of Business & Legal Affairs for Universal Music Group. Harleston is a key member of the senior executive team and responsible for overseeing all business transactions, contracts, and litigation related to UMG’s operations. He is also responsible for the development of corporate policies including the coordination of the company’s government relations, trade and anti-piracy activities so as to ensure a unified strategy across all of the company’s divisions. Harleston has held a variety of senior legal and operational positions at UMG over the years, most recently as Executive Vice President of Business & Legal Affairs for North America. Prior to that, he was Executive Vice President/Head of Operations for Geffen Records and Senior Vice President of Business & Legal Affairs for MCA Records. Before joining Universal, Harleston was Associate Independent Counsel during the investigation and prosecution of the Iran/Contra scandal. He has also worked as a litigation associate with the firm of Covington & Burling in Washington D.C. and, before law school, as an Account Executive for Saatchi & Saatchi Compton Advertising in New York. Harleston received a B.A. in Political Science from Williams College and his J.D. from Boalt Hall School of Law at U.C. Berkeley.