The Legal 500

Within M&A: smaller deals up to £50m, Harbottle & Lewis LLP is a first tier firm,

Harbottle & Lewis LLP’s traditional strength in the media, entertainment and communications sectors continues to serve the M&A practice well. Head of corporate Tim Parker led a team advising MAMA Group on the defence of the £46m takeover offer by HMV. Colin Howes advised the principal shareholders on the sale of the entire issued capital of Monkey Kingdom to NBC Universal. Mark Phillips is also recommended.

Within Venture capital, tier 4

Harbottle & Lewis LLP’s venture capital team excels in transactions in the media, communications and technology sectors. As well as handling work for many investees, such as Brandwatch and Zattikka, it continues to develop its investor client base, recently advising new client Seraphim Capital on its investment in Pyreos. Team head Tony Littner is recommended.

Within Commercial litigation Commercial litigation

Within Defamation and privacy, Harbottle & Lewis LLP is a second tier firm,

Rated as ‘absolutely first class’, Harbottle & Lewis LLP’s practice is ‘knowledgeable, experienced and astute, and has excellent strength in depth’. Clients include various senior members of the Royal Family, David and Victoria Beckham, Simon Fuller, Kate Moss and Sir Alex Ferguson. Gerrard Tyrrell is ‘one of the best media lawyers in Britain’, and works alongside ‘excellent’ senior associates Louise Prince and Jo Sanders.

Within Asset finance and leasing, tier 6

Harbottle & Lewis LLP has ‘very good knowledge of the aviation industry, and is very dedicated to getting the job done’. ‘Very approachable and fun to deal with’, team head Alison Wilds draws on a wealth of experience advising airlines, leasing companies and financiers. Consultant Michael Offer has ‘superb knowledge of the business, and is able to communicate in an easily understandable way’. Clients include Cityjet, Omega Air, and Virgin Atlantic Airways.

Within Employment, tier 7

Harbottle & Lewis LLP has experience advising well-known figures in the media and broadcasting industries. Howard Hymanson is praised for his ‘calmness, tenacity, and attention to detail’; and Marian Derham is ‘highly diligent’.

Within Charities and not-for-profit , tier 6

Associate David Scott heads the team at Harbottle & Lewis LLP, which includes experienced corporate partner Colin Howes. The team acts for Comic Relief and Virgin Unite.

Within Family, tier 7

Harbottle & Lewis LLP has an excellent track record of advising its prestigious media client base on ancillary relief and other family matters, but will miss Tom Amlot, who left to join Alexiou Fisher Philipps.

Within Overview,

In terms of notable partner moves, star practitioner Rupert Ticehurst left Herbert Smith LLP for Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, beefing up the firm’s capacity to handle trust disputes; and Charles Russell LLP lost the head of its contentious trusts practice, Morven McMillan, who moved to Cayman Islands firm Mourant Ozannes. In the family sphere, Tom Amlot left Harbottle & Lewis LLP to join Alexiou Fisher Philipps; and Speechly Bircham LLP lost Richard Hogwood to Stewarts Law LLP and John Nicholson to Irwin Mitchell LLP.

Within Personal tax, trusts and probate, tier 5

Private tax planning is a string to the bow of media firm Harbottle & Lewis LLP, headed by managing partner Glen Atchison.

Within Commercial property, tier 7

Harbottle & Lewis LLP has particular experience in the media, leisure and entertainment sectors. Melanie Benson is ‘willing to go the extra mile to make a complicated transaction happen on time’.

Within Brand management, Harbottle & Lewis LLP is a second tier firm,

At the ‘excellent’ Harbottle & Lewis LLP, Andy Millmore handles copy clearance for advertising agencies Lowe & Partners and Mortimer Whittaker O’Sullivan, and brand protection matters for the organisers of major sporting events. Bob Mitchell, ‘a central figure in British football’, advised new client npower on its £21m three-year deal to become the new title sponsor of the Football League. Paul Cairns advised EA Sports on its appointment as official sports technology partner of the Barclays Premier League and exclusive video game licence. Rebecca Davis ‘provides a one-stop shop for trade marks’.

Within Intellectual property, tier 4

At Harbottle & Lewis LLP, team head Mark Owen is representing LucasFilm in the first IP case to be referred to the Supreme Court. Shireen Peermohamed advised FIFA on brand protection for itself and its partners concerning the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Trade mark attorney Rebecca Davis is ‘highly organised, practical and helpful’, and Adam Mitton was promoted to partner.

Within IT and telecoms, tier 5

At Harbottle & Lewis LLP, leading telecoms specialist Tony Ballard is representing Vtesse Networks in a case that has been referred to the ECJ. Other clients include Telenor and Phorm. Mark Owen and Adam Mitton are ‘responsive and knowledgeable’.

Within Media and entertainment, Harbottle & Lewis LLP is a first tier firm,

Harbottle & Lewis LLP’s practice includes music, computer games and software, and book publishing, and stands out for its ‘invaluable in-depth knowledge of both the film and television industry’. The ‘first-rate’ Medwyn Jones, who heads the film and TV practice, has a ‘a wealth of knowledge, and handles even the most complex negotiations deftly and with clarity’. New clients include DreamWorks Studios (which it advised on Steven Spielberg’s War Horse film), Film London, NBC Universal and Sony Pictures Entertainment, and the team continues to advise established clients including Working Title. Peter Armstrong represents US studios, and Jonathan Berger advises on film financing, production and distribution. Abigail Payne is also recommended for her ‘thorough’ knowledge. The ‘very highly regarded’ Neil Adleman, who has ‘in-depth knowledge of theatre production’, is advising on several West End productions including Wicked and We Will Rock You. He also advised on the opening of new musical Ghost, which involved complex rights issues. Paul Jones advises Jamie Cullen, Universal Music Group and Omnifone, and Chloe Wright represented new artist Connor Maynard in negotiating a recording agreement with Parlophone. Mark Phillips, who co-heads the e-commerce and technology group, is ‘commercially very sharp and aware, and a good strategic planner’. The ‘exceptional’ Caroline Turner is an expert in e-books.

Within Sport, Harbottle & Lewis LLP is a third tier firm,

The ‘calm, perceptive and thorough’ Bob Mitchell heads Harbottle & Lewis LLP’s practice, which has recently advised individuals including swimmer Tom Daley and rower Matthew Pinsent on image rights issues. Paul Cairns, along with senior associate Paul Groves, recently advised Chelsea FC on developing a template for player image rights contracts. Other clients include tennis player Andy Murray, the Professional Cricketers’ Association, and sponsors such as Cadbury.