Bertelsmann Attorneys Due in N.Y. to Begin Work on Clive Davis Deal

Attorneys for Bertelsmann Music Group are expected to gather in New York today to begin hammering out a $175-million joint venture label deal with industry veteran Clive Davis, sources said. The move follows months of turmoil within the music group following a decision by BMG to hire Antonio “L.A.” Reid to run its Arista Records division, a label founded and overseen for the past 25 years by Davis. While the new joint venture could still unravel, sources say, BMG is likely to close the deal within the next two weeks.