Abigail Payne > Harbottle & Lewis LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Abigail Payne

020 7667 5000 abigail.payne@harbottle.com View profile View profile

Work Department

Film and TV

Position

Abigail is a Partner in the Film and TV Group providing advice on all aspects of development, finance, production and distribution of feature films and television programmes and exploitation of ancillary rights. Particular expertise is in advising film funds, EIS schemes and structuring international co-productions and providing advice on tax incentives (including the film and high-end TV and animation production tax credits), and international subsidies for a wide international client base of producers, distributors, broadcasters, exhibitors, agents, insurance companies and artists.

Her recent highlights include:

• Advising Marv Studios on the production and financing of the film Tetris, starring Taron Egerton, directed by Jon Baird, which will be available on Apple TV, including the arrangements between Marv and Access Industries, Union Bank, the completion guarantor and Apple.
• Acting for Sir Terry Pratchett’s estate on the co-production arrangements with BBC Studios for the television series The Watch based on the Discworld novels written by Sir Terry Pratchett produced in 2020.

Career

• Trained Theodore Goddard; qualified 1995;
• Business Affairs Executive BBC (Drama) 1995-97;
• Associate Harbottle & Lewis 1997 to current, Partner 2002.
• Won Legal 500 TME Individual of the Year 2019 (London)

Languages

French
German

Memberships

• BAFTA
• New Producers Alliance
• Women in Film & Television

Education

• Bath University (BA European Studies with French and German Hons);
• Nottingham Trent University (CPE; LSF).

Leisure

Polo, tennis, skiing and yoga