Leading Individuals

Next Generation Lawyers

Media and entertainment in South East

Healys

Specialists in reputation management and TV production work, Healys is led by Nicholas Taylor who is ‘one of the top lawyers in the UK‘ and advises high-profile individuals and celebrities as well as companies on media law issues. Associate Samantha Oakley leverages her experience as an in-house counsel for her broad commercial practice, advising clients on production, social media, and related issues such as data protection.

Practice head(s):

Nicholas Taylor

Other key lawyers:

Samantha Oakley

Testimonials

‘Personal service and always contactable 24 hours very professional and care.’

‘Mobile phones always contactable – Nicholas Taylor goes beyond the job to help and call to make sure all is OK. A very personal service. It’s a unique service offered.’

‘Nicholas Taylor – very good litigator and commercially aware. Always patient and humorous however challenging the case or client.’

‘Humanity! Support you in every way….talented people. It is very diverse … representing Brighton at its best.’

‘Nicholas Taylor is one of the top lawyers in the UK … he knows everything!’

Irwin Mitchell

Irwin Mitchell is a go-to firm for media clients from various sectors, representing both companies such as Firespite, Flourish Management, and talent, including Lady Leshurr and HRVY. Deeply embedded in the creative community, practice co-head Laura Harper  focuses her practice in Manchester on interactive entertainment studios. Fellow co-head Aurelia Butler-Ball has recently made partner and continues to be a key figure in growing the firm’s client list. In a recent highlight she advised Stabl on its negotiations with Spotify. Thomas Barnard is also noted.

Practice head(s):

Aurelia Butler-Ball; Laura Harper

Other key lawyers:

Georgie Collins; Thomas Barnard

Key clients

Lady Leshurr

Flourish Management

Adrift Entertainment Limited

Jaywing plc

Protelum Partners Limited

Stabl Limited

Work highlights

  • Advised Flourish Management on a range of commercial contracts with high-profile talent and brands.
  • Advising Jaywing Plc on a wide range of commercial and employment matters.
  • Representing the interests of grime artist Lady Leshurr, including contract negotiations with Channel 4, BBC, and major brands.

Maier Blackburn LLP

Deeply entrenched in the publishing industry, Maier Blackburn LLP handles a variety of IP matters for clients such as The Tolkien Estate and Agatha Christie Limited. Steven Maier handles the contentious side and in a recent highlight represented The Tolkien Estate in a claim against a cryptocurrency platform regarding the use of names from Tolkien’s works. An expert in cross-border copyright, trade, and academic publishing, Cathleen Blackburn handles the non-contentious part of the practice.

Practice head(s):

Steven Maier; Cathleen Blackburn

Testimonials

‘Sensitive and emphatic introductory discussions led to an immediate rapport being established that created a feeling of security and support that had been missing with inquiries at other firms.’

‘A very impressive understanding of what are probably uncommon issues made more complicated by the ever-shifting Covid situation.’

‘Cathleen Blackburn was very careful to understand fully the nuances of our position, and helped me reach contractual clauses that both protected our position while also enabling us to be generous should we deem that necessary.’

Key clients

The Tolkien Estate Limited

Agatha Christie Limited

Oxford University Press

M C Beaton Literary Estate

Watership Down Enterprises Limited

The Cochraine Collaboration

McFarland & Company Publishers

Romantic Novelists’ Association

Ayebia Clarke Publishing

Work highlights

  • Advised The Tolkien Estate Limited in WIPO and elsewhere to shut down “JRRToken” cryptocurrency.
  • Advised Agatha Christie Limited on a puzzle games claim.
  • Advised US client McFarland & Company Publishers in UK litigation proceedings.

Moore Law

A genuine market leader on talent and agency work, particularly in relation to prominent YouTube-personalities, boutique firm Moore Law advises on all aspects of media, tech, and sports law. Tris Moore heads up the practice, handling commercial and IP matters, and is retained by Zeitgeist to advise on its commercial agreements with YouTube personalities. Additionally, Scott Appleton caters to the corporate needs of the firm’s clients, handling M&A and similar transactions.

Practice head(s):

Tris Moore

Other key lawyers:

Scott Appleton

Key clients

Couple Keys/Fellas

Randolph

Ace Grading

Buff Motion

Sidemen Clothing

Joe Weller

Callum Airey

Upload Agency

We Are Tilt

Family Fizz

Xibo Signage

Tamara Kalinic

Fat Tape Productions

St James Events

Zeitgeist Agency

Work highlights

  • Advising prominent YouTubers Calfreezy and Josh Larkin on their exclusive deal with Spotify.
  • Retained adviser to Sidemen Clothing on all commercial contracts, IP protection and enforcement, and its YouTube channel.
  • Advising Upload Agency on all commercial contract and IP issues, including influencer and YouTuber clients like Chunkz and Beta Squad.

Stevens & Bolton LLP

Under the leadership of litigator Tom Lingard, the team at Stevens & Bolton LLP handles contentious matters pertaining to copyright, trade marks, branding, and defamation, particularly for clients in interactive entertainment and publishing. Associate Elaine O’Hare heads up the firm’s brand protection practice, handling both contentious and non-contentious work with a focus on luxury and retail. In a recent highlight the two represented Prestige Asset Finance and its founder in a dispute concerning trade mark infringement and passing off.

Practice head(s):

Tom Lingard

Other key lawyers:

Elaine O’Hare

Key clients

Prestige Asset Finance Limited

Electronic Theatre Ltd

PA Media Group Limited

Work highlights

  • Represented PA Media on a trade mark infringement claim against the Workers of England Union over the unauthorized use of the name ‘Press Association’.
  • Advising the former F1 world champion racing driver Damon Hill OBE on the use and exploitation of image rights and media contracts, including agency.
  • Acting for Outer Aspect in a dispute with an artist involving joint ownership of copyright and arising from the diversion of funds by the artist away from our client.

Blake Morgan LLP

Blake Morgan LLP advises clients from a wide variety of sectors on issues arising from media law, the team is particularly strong in matters pertaining to trade marks and department head Jill Bainbridge  is a specialist in cross-border work. Further, Ben Evans is a chartered trade mark attorney and has significant expertise in IP issues arising from social media.

Practice head(s):

Jill Bainbridge

Other key lawyers:

Ben Evans

Testimonials

‘Great team in a variety of areas of law with good expertise in media and entertainment and IP.’

‘Jill Bainbridge – practical, knowledgeable and personable. Ben Evans – really knowledgeable.’

‘The team at Blake Morgan has a real personal touch – they make it their business to know their client and what is important commercially to them. They are real unit, too – very in tune with one another.’

‘Ben Evans is calm and collected, and always puts his client’s commercial needs front and centre.’

‘The team offers knowledgeable and commercial advice. They are efficient and sensible.’

‘Jill Bainbridge has enormous experience and gives solid, sensible and commercial advice. Ben Evans is also an excellent choice, sensible, and commercial.’

Key clients

Advanced Thinking Systems Limited

Lemieux Limited

Met Police

Mattel UK Limited

Society of London Art Dealers

WiggleCRC

Red Paddle Co

Springer Macmillan

Committee on Publication Ethics

Nosy Crow

Work highlights

  • Advising a television production company on clearing the name of its new Sky TV drama and a potential conflict with Netflix.
  • Advising an online festival on a significant trade mark infringement issue with a competing, hybrid festival of the same name.
  • Advising a member of a band on his exit from the band, ownership, and distribution of assets.

Cripps

Cripps counsels media companies on M&A, joint ventures, corporate restructurings, fundraising, commercial, and employment matters. Formerly in-house in the advertising and media space, Nigel Stanford  co-heads the team and focuses his practice on M&A transactions. Pete Kenyon leads alongside Stanford and advises clients on the intersection of media and IT.

Practice head(s):

Nigel Stanford; Pete Kenyon

Testimonials

‘Understand our industry and are a pleasure to work with.’

‘The Cripps Pemberton Greenish team took the time to get to grips with an extremely complex issue offering advice on the basis of a range of factors, including an understanding of the personal factors as well as the purely legal ones. The team works well together and uses a range of expertise to cover all bases. The teams supported us with billing where possible – again understanding our particular circumstances.’

‘Pete Kenyon supported our organization with thoroughness and understanding. Supporting the complex negotiations with tact and clarity. This was really helpful through a very challenging period.’

‘We have received excellent care and support with the entertainment and media practice – relying on the team for advice and expertise in a number of arenas.’

‘The individuals always treat us as individuals, with our own issues that are unique and not a one size fits all response and solution package.’

Key clients

Local Planet International

Deltatre

DG3 UK Intermediate Holdings Limited

BOAT International Media

Craft Media

PHD Media

Knowledgemotion Ltd/Bioclips

Sahara Presentation Systems

Milk Visual Effects Limited

The owners of Dreamtek Inc and Dreamtek Limited

Work highlights

  • Advised Local Planet International Limited on its joint venture agreement with Making Science and Making Science’s equity investment into Local Planet International Limited.
  • Advised the owner and managers of Dreamtek on its acquisition by System One.
  • Advising Deltatre on various commercial matters with sports federations and broadcasters, concerning the licensing and development of Deltatre’s proprietary software platforms.

Howes Percival LLP

James Howarth leads the team at Howes Percival LLP  in representation of its clients in disputes, particularly those operating in the publishing industry, he is a specialist in defamation matters. On the non-contentious side, associate Jenna Bruce heads up the department, with her extensive expertise in copyright and contracts she advises clients like Massive Music and Sounds Like Publishing.

Practice head(s):

James Howarth; Jenna Bruce

Testimonials

‘I work closely with James Howarth, who is an excellent solicitor, with good knowledge of this specialist area of law.’

Key clients

Captain Sir Tom Moore

Lion Hudson Publishing

Welbeck Publishing

Sounds Like Publishing

DOLCE Music Limited

Quarto Group plc

MassiveMusic

Relay Publishing

Work highlights

  • Representing Gareth Bull in a libel case against a party who had published a book which infringed the client’s privacy.
  • Advising Captain Sir Tom Moore’s representatives on image rights, copyright and licensing, and passing off.