
- Tel:
- Work 020 7439 8692
- Fax:
- Fax 020 7494 3582
- DX:
- 44600 MAYFAIR
- Email:
Chris Organ
- Tel:
- Work 020 7439 8692
- Email:
Work Department
Commercial
Position
Senior Partner
Career
Chris has been with Russells since being taken on as an articled clerk in 1980 and is now the Senior Partner.
From his beginnings as a commercial solicitor focusing almost exclusively on the music industry, his role and areas of expertise have expanded significantly, although he draws almost all of his clientele from the entertainment and media industries.
His clients number some of the greatest talents of their generation to include artists, writers, composers, sportsmen and executives as well as clients drawn from the business world of highly successful companies (independent and major) and other organisations within the world of entertainment from music, film, theatre and book publishing through to sport, the restaurant business and many other fields.
Whilst concentrating as much as possible upon advising and representing his many and varied clients he has also been involved in guiding and leading Russells for the past ten years.
Chris is justly proud of the exceptionally talented team of people around him and of the progress that Russells has made and continues to make, notwithstanding the recent turbulent times affecting the world economy generally, as well as the individual problems faced by the various sectors of the entertainment industry. Russells continues to grow and Chris remains as excited and optimistic about the future as ever.
London: Human resources
Employment: employers and senior executives
Within: Employment: employers and senior executives
Russells Solicitors’s team continues to act for high-profile senior executives across the media, entertainment and sports sectors, with an emphasis on the music industry. Group head John Reid and Simon Esplen led advice to the former vice presidents of Live Nation on their appointment as joint CEOs of AEG Presents. Gavin Maude assisted Mike Smith, former president of music at Universal Music, with his high-profile move to Warner/Chappell Music as managing director. Chris Organ and Chris Gossage are key names.
London: TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
Media and entertainment (including media finance)
Within: Leading individuals: Media and entertainment
Chris Organ - Russells Solicitors (Music)
Within: Media and entertainment (including media finance)
A ‘leading light for music industry expertise’, Russells Solicitors acts for a range of high-profile clients in the music industry including record companies, publishers and producers, and agencies and artists on the full range of matters including live events, sponsorship, recording and publishing agreements, TV appearances, show agreements, private client, real estate, employment, disputes and corporate matters. Chris Organ represented Roger Waters of Pink Floyd on the negotiations surrounding his global music publishing deal with BMG. Steven Tregear advised Parlophone on its dispute with Radiohead concerning digital royalties. Brian Howard advised Duran Duran on a dispute with Gloucester Place Music over the US rights to its first three albums. Gavin Maude heads the artist department and advised Coldplay on negotiations surrounding its deal with the US NFL to perform the half-time show at the NFL Super Bowl. Jo Brittain is a specialist in working with new and up-and-coming artists and advised Clean Bandit on negotiations surrounding the clearance of the performer rights on the single Rockabye. Mark Sinnott is ‘one of the most experienced and knowledgeable music law advisers in the industry’ and advised Universal Music on the negotiation of the original soundtrack album rights licence from Universal Pictures in relation to the film Bridget Jones’s Baby. Team head Simon Esplen is an ‘excellent commercial music lawyer who fights very hard for his clients’; John Reid is also noted for contentious mandates. Chris Gossage is a ‘hugely experienced corporate lawyer who has the rare advantage of fully understanding the music industry’. Senior associate Ryan Vince is also recommended.