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.
Media and entertainment in South East
Healys
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.