The Legal 500 > United Kingdom - Solicitors > South East > Media and entertainment

The media and entertainment team at Cripps Pemberton Greenish is recognised as a prominent force in the advertising and marketing sectors, and is known for advising high-profile clients on both corporate and commercial matters. The team also regularly advises companies in their dealings with media agencies and PR consultancies. Commercial specialist Pete Kenyon heads the team along with Nigel Stanford, a corporate expert with significant in-house experience in the advertising sector.

Irwin Mitchell's media and entertainment team includes sector specialists Aurelia Butler-Ball and Thomas Barnard, as well as team lead Stuart Padgham, a noted expert in commercial contracts. Catering for social influencers and music industry figures, the practice also advises clients in the film, advertising and digital fields. The team handles complex matters such as estates management and exploitation rights, while clients can also benefit from the firm's disputes expertise (with an emphasis on employment issues) as well its strong track record in risk and reputation management.  

Representing clients such as the Tolkien Estate and Agatha Christie Limited, the media and entertainment team at Maier Blackburn LLP has an outstanding reputation in the publishing industry. Its expertise is frequently deployed in relation to TV, cinema and merchandising, an area in which its knowledge of the US film industry is particularly beneficial. Specialisms include trademark violations, cross-border copyright, domain name disputes and a niche interest in academic theses. The team also handles privacy and libel cases covering a multitude of publicity concerns. Respectively, co-leads Steven Maier and Cathleen Blackburn are veterans of contentious and non-contentious cases.

Stevens & Bolton LLP, which provides a full service offering to media sector clients, has strong track records in both contentious and non-contentious work. Specifically, the firm is known for its experience in the publishing sector where it advises on IP litigation and the licensing of IP rights. Solicitor-advocate Tom Lingard heads the practice.

Mark Blunden leads the media and entertainment team at Boyes Turner, which has specific expertise in the publishing sector, counting major news outlets and trade journals as key clients. Key areas of work include advice on marketing software, CRM systems, programmatic advertising and the sale of inventory. Bill Gornall-King is notable for his experience with rights issues regarding media articles, photography and reputations. The firm also handles contentious matters in the High Court/IPEC where Stephen Baker acts on issues such as IP infringement and copyright disputes.

Publishing ethics specialist Jill Bainbridge leads the south east media and entertainment team at Blake Morgan LLP. Known for its work in the charity, retail and leisure sectors, it also pursues issues of unfair competition and reputation management. Partner Simon Stokes is notable for his expertise in social media and copyright, particularly as it relates to art. Ben Evans specialises in trade mark prosecution, brand protection, IP litigation (arising from social media use) and defamation. The firm's client base features a number of significant overseas businesses and other law firms.

With significant experience in publishing and TV, the media and entertainment team at Howes Percival LLP is particularly known for its work in copyright, defamation and privacy disputes. Coordinated by Matthew Talbot, it also features James Howarth, a contentious specialist with representative experience in both the Intellectual Property Office and High Court. More broadly, the firm covers legal issues such as passing-off, image rights and a broad spectrum of trademark issues. Jenna Bruce, renowned for her expertise in commercial areas, is recommended for the drafting of rights agreements. Vicki Howe is another name to note.