The Legal 500

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

Harbottle & Lewis LLP’s corporate team draws on the firm’s historic strength in the media, telecoms and entertainment sectors to tap into a client base that includes Channel Four and HMV/MAMA Group plc. Highlights included advising on the sale of a 51% interest in Endor Productions to Red Arrow Entertainment. Tim Parker heads the practice.

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Within Venture capital, tier 5

Headed by Tony Littner, Harbottle & Lewis LLP’s team focuses on the media, communications and technology sectors. Active for an increasingly balanced portfolio of investee and investor clients, the team regularly combines with the firm’s broader IP and technology teams. Highlights included advising PROfounders Capital on its investment into easyCar’s ‘Car Club’ concept. Other clients include Seraphim Capital, Brandwatch and goodypass.com.

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Within Commercial litigation, tier 6

Known for its work for media, entertainment and communications clients, Harbottle & Lewis LLP increasingly acts in commercial litigation cases. The practice represented Al-Sanea in the English litigation side of the headline dispute with Ahmad Hamad Algosaibi and Brothers Company.

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

Harbottle & Lewis LLP’s team is led by recognised media expert Gerrard Tyrell, and has acted for clients including senior members of the Royal Family, David and Victoria Beckham, Simon Fuller, Kate Moss and Sir Alex Ferguson. Jo Sanders is a ‘rising star who is brilliantly efficient and a pleasure to work with’. Louise Prince is also recommended.

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Within Asset finance and leasing, tier 6

At Harbottle & Lewis LLP, team head Alison Wilds has ‘exceptional knowledge of how the aviation industry works’, and is praised for her ability to ‘keep a cool head in the face of adversity’. Clients include Virgin Atlantic Airways, Royal Wings Aviation Services, and Cityjet.

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Within Employment: employers and senior executives, Harbottle & Lewis LLP is a third tier firm,

Harbottle & Lewis LLP is a leader in the field for clients in the media, entertainment and online sectors, acting for both employers and senior executives in relation to major exit packages, discrimination claims and director disputes, among other areas. Howard Hymanson and Marian Derham are recommended.

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Within Charities and not-for-profit, tier 6

The highly respected David Scott heads the team at Harbottle & Lewis LLP, which acts for an array of media clients including Comic Relief and Virgin Unite. The team also advised Royal Household charities in relation to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

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Within Family, tier 7

Harbottle & Lewis LLP is ‘an emerging power’ in the area of family law, and a ‘natural choice for the celebrity client’.

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Within Personal tax, trusts and probate, tier 5

Harbottle & Lewis LLP’s client base includes celebrities and media companies. The firm carries out the spectrum of work, from offshore planning to tax enquiries.

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Within Commercial property, tier 4

Harbottle & Lewis LLP has experience in the media, leisure and entertainment sectors, and advised on the acquisition and disposal of a number of shopping centres and business parks. Melanie Benson and Leo Marino ‘look after the client in a calm and almost paternal way’. Clients include Ben Sherman Group.

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

Harbottle & Lewis LLP advises on major sports sponsorship arrangements, and handles clearance issues for advertisers and agencies. It acted for Emirates on sponsorship deals for both the US Open Golf Championship and the TfL cable car development. Bob Mitchell leads on sports and sponsorship matters, where the group has advised corporate sponsors such as Vodafone on the UEFA Champions League. Advertising head Andy Millmore advises Interpublic on copy and brand name clearances, and acted for Mortimer Whittaker O’Sullivan on brand campaigns such as the Iggy Pop advertising series for Swiftcover.

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Within Intellectual property, Harbottle & Lewis LLP is a third tier firm,

Harbottle & Lewis LLP’s strength lies in advising media, entertainment and technology sector clients on copyright and trade mark matters. Practice head Mark Owen continued to represent Lucasfilm in its Star Wars copyright case, which was heard at the Supreme Court. Shireen Peermohamed’s clients include Orange, Virgin Group and Ben Sherman.

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Within IT and telecoms, tier 5

Harbottle & Lewis LLP’s Tony Ballard focuses on the satellite broadcasting sector, advising clients such as Telenor and ANO TV Novosti on contractual and regulatory matters.

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

Harbottle & Lewis LLP is considered to be the ‘market leader in film and TV’ and acts for clients including DreamWorks Studios, Shine Group, Working Title and new client NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation). Practice head Medwyn Jones is praised for his ‘encyclopaedic knowledge’, Peter Armstrong advised Universal on the production of 47 Ronin. Abigail Payne is ‘hugely admired and trusted’. Jonathan Berger advised Microsoft on digital entertainment service Zune. ‘Highly regarded’ theatre lawyer Neil Adleman is advising West End productions Singin’ in the Rain and The Ladykillers, and international productions including the Broadway production of Ghost. Paul Jones and his music team advise Jamie Cullum, Universal Music Group and Omnifone. New clients include Spirit Music and Sophia Somajo. Chloe Wright was promoted to partner. Mark Phillips and Paul Cairns lead the interactive content group, advising gaming clients including Electronic Arts, Zynga and Zattikka. The publishing team includes practice head Caroline Turner, Shireen Peermohamed and recently promoted partner Adam Mitton. Alex Hardy joined from Hachette. Clients include Penguin Books, Oxford University Press and Gok Wan.

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

Harbottle & Lewis LLP’s six-partner group handles film, TV, games, music, publishing and theatre finance. Practice head Abigail Payne is ‘skilled at piecing together complex co-production finance for UK independent films’. She and Jonathan Berger advised Quickfire Films on financing The Samaritan and Blood. Payne advised Coutts & Co on financing Tilly and Friends, the children’s animated TV series. Neil Adleman and recently promoted partner Charles Leveque advised Fiery Dragons on co-production arrangements for new commercial theatre productions. Mark Phillips and new partner Alan Moss are advising Penguin and Frederick Warne on joint venture arrangements following Chorion’s sale of rights to The World of Beatrix Potter.

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

Harbottle & Lewis LLP is ‘excellent – highly professional, diligent, and expert’, especially for sponsorship matters and media disputes. It advised England cricketers on contractual matters involving the ECB. Other clients include the Professional Cricketers’ Association, Chelsea FC, the League Managers’ Association, Diageo plc, and various individuals. Practice head Bob Mitchell and senior associate Anil Matharu are ‘thoughtful and practical, with excellent and broad expertise in sports law’, and Paul Cairns is also a key figure. Tax expert David Scott is now a partner.

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