Legal500

Wiggin LLP

10TH FLOOR, MET BUILDING, 22 PERCY STREET, LONDON, W1T 2BU, ENGLAND

Tel:: Work 020 7612 9612
Fax:: Fax 020 7612 9611
DX:: 37201 PICCADILLY

Web:: www.wiggin.co.uk
Email:

London, Cheltenham

What we say about the firm's legal practice in London

Corporate and commercial

Within Corporate tax Corporate tax

Within M&A: smaller deals up to £50m, Wiggin LLP is a third tier firm,

Wiggin LLP plays to its strengths in the media world, with an impressive breadth of clients including Endemol, Optomen Television, and Leopard Films. Michael Brader is the partner of note.

Crime, fraud and licensing

Within Gaming and betting, Wiggin LLP is a third tier firm,

The ‘user-friendly’ team at Wiggin LLP acts for electronic betting and media clients, including Fremantle Media, GTECH G2, and Perform Group, on commercial and regulatory matters. The ‘reassuring’ and ‘well-connected’ Jason Chess is highly recommended.

Dispute resolution

Within Defamation and privacy, Wiggin LLP is a second tier firm,

Led by the ‘impressive’ Caroline Kean, the two-partner team at Wiggin LLP is ‘committed, hardworking and capable’. It successfully advised Trinity Mirror in defending the Sunday Mercury regarding its investigation into a possible telecommunications pyramid selling scheme, and acted for Times Newspapers Ltd in successfully fending off a PCC complaint by Andrew Wakefield, the doctor at the centre of the controversy surrounding the MMR vaccine. Kean is a ‘staunch defendant lawyer’ singled out for her ‘vast intellect’ and ‘strategic sense’. Amali de Silva is ‘excellent’.

Real estate

Within Commercial property, tier 7

Wiggin LLP represents media sector clients such as UKTV. Matt Bullock is recommended.

TMT (technology, media and telecoms)

Within Intellectual property, tier 5

At Wiggin LLP, ‘keen, sharp’ litigator Simon Baggs provides ‘expert advice’ on rights protection in the online environment, and recently secured the groundbreaking High Court judgment against the Newzbin website. Shaun Lowde, Adrian Jones and Benedict Headicar are recommended.

Within Media and entertainment, Wiggin LLP is a first tier firm,

Reed Smith provides ‘an extremely high quality of service’. The ‘phenomenal’ Michael Maxtone-Smith, who is valued for his ‘intelligence and problem-solving skills’, acts on film financing deals for clients such as Coutts & Co and Silver Reel. Broadcasting specialist and practice head Stephen Edwards continues to advise the BBC on reforms to copyright law, and also advised Channel Four on a complex £1bn advertising and sponsorship sales agreement. The team also acted for The Walt Disney Company, and advised the UK Film Council on selling its film-collecting subsidiary. Also recommended are Gregor Pryor, a well-regarded digital content lawyer; and Richard Philipps, who specialises in film and television acquisition and production financing. Neil Gillard, who handles film and television finance and production, recently moved to Wiggin LLP.

Within Overview,

Boutique and mid-size firms dominate media, entertainment and sport, with Wiggin LLP maintaining a high profile and Lewis Silkin LLP recruiting Jonathan Coad from Swan Turton and Paul Chinnery, former head of legal at Channel Five.

Within Sport, tier 5

At Wiggin LLP, head of department Michael Brader advises sports entities on corporate and commercial issues, including advising Manchester United FC on its MUTV joint venture with Sky. Sean James advises on commercial issues, and Simon Baggs represents clients in litigation. The FA Premier League is a new client. Other clients include UEFA, Input Media, and the ICC.

Further information on Wiggin LLP

Please choose from this list to view details of what we say about Wiggin LLP in other jurisdictions.

London

Offices in London

Search News and Articles

Legal Developments in the UK

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to

COUNCIL TAX

In Harrow LBC v Ayiku [2012] EWHC 1200 (Admin) Sales J held that the word “or” in the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992, art 3 Class N, had a disjunctive meaning, therefore it was sufficient for the non-British spouse of a foreign student to satisfy one or other of the two conditions, namely being prevented from taking paid employment or being prevented from claiming benefits, in order to qualify as a “relevant person” who was exempted from liability to pay council tax.

- 11KBW
QUEEN’S SPEECH

Bills already introduced pursuant to the Queen’s Speech on 9 May 2012 include Local Government Finance Bill and Electoral Registration and Administration Bill, both accompanied by Explanatory Notes, which in each case address ECHR compatibility.

- 11KBW
Standards

In R (Calver) v Adjudication Panel for Wales [2012] EWHC 1172 (Admin) Mr Calver was a member of Manorbier Community Council who successfully challenged the decision of the Panel to dismiss his appeal against a decision by Prembrokeshire County Council Standards Committee censuring him for a number of comments or blogs posted by him on a website he owned and controlled.

- 11KBW
A justified retrospective

Clive Sheldon - QC debates the pros & cons of retrospective tax legislation

- 11KBW
Public Sector Equality Duty (“PSED”)

In R (Greenwich Community Law Centre) v Greenwich LBC [2012] EWCA Civ 496 the Court of Appeal held that the Council had had “due regard to the PSED when making changes to its funding of community legal advice services”. At para 30 Elias LJ said:

- 11KBW
Public Sector Equality Duty

Surrey County Council conducted a review of its Library Service. This culminated in a Report to the Council’s Cabinet. The Recommendations in the Report included that there should be consultation about a community-partnership approach at selected Libraries.

- 11KBW
Judicial Review

The Judgment of Lindblom J in The Manydown Co Ltd v Basingstoke and Deane BC [2012] EWHC 977 (Admin) repays attention. The Claimant sought to challenge by judicial review 2 decisions of the Council: (1) the Council’s refusal to reconsider its position on the development of a site that it owns (and is the subject matter of a Joint Development Partnership Agreement with the Claimant); and (2) a decision of the Council’s Cabinet approving a selection of sites for development which did not include this site.

- 11KBW
The Health and Social Care Act 2012: impact on adult social services

After its torrid passage through Parliament, the Health and Social Care Bill received Royal Assent on 27 March 2012. The Act deals principally with healthcare reform, but it also contains some amendments to the legislative framework for social care. It will come into force on a day yet to be appointed by the Secretary of State.

- 11KBW
Immigration update May 2012

In this issue:

- Penningtons Solicitors LLP
Premium service for tier 2 and 5 sponsors to be launched

A premium service for sponsors will be launched by the UKBA on 6 April 2012. The service is designed specifically for companies that sponsor international employees under tier 2 and 5 of the points based system and aims to provide them with enhanced support.

- Penningtons Solicitors LLP