Harbottle & Lewis LLP

Film, Television & Theatre

Sarah is head of the firm’s film and TV practice. She provides advice and support in all areas surrounding the development, production, and exploitation of audio-visual content.

Sarah is an industry leader, advising global studios and streamers, indies, rightsholders and talent across film, television and other forms of scripted and unscripted content.

She has extensive experience with advising on development, finance, production and distribution matters, as well as negotiating rights deals and handling complex chain of title issues. Sarah is valued for her business and commercial acumen and is ranked as a leading adviser across film and television by both The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.

Her clients include major streamers (Apple, Amazon), US studios (Disney, Universal Pictures), market-leading indies (Working Title, Complete Fiction, New Regency, Neal Street) and unscripted producers (Box to Box) as well as talent such as Stormzy and rightsholders such as Rebellion and Hachette.

Sarah is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion within the industry and runs a mentoring and networking programme geared towards women working in legal and business affairs.

She is a trustee of the Screen Academy Foundation, a charity set up by Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan, Barbara Broccoli and David Heyman, amongst others, to support young people from minority backgrounds trying to make their way in the industry.

Sarah was shortlisted as ‘Law Firm Leader of the Year (small to medium sized practice)’ at the Women and Diversity in Law Awards 2023.

Qualified at Harbottle & Lewis in 2009, made partner in 2016

Affiliate Member of the Production Guild of Great Britain and serves on the Board; BAFTA Member; Women in Film & Television

University College London (LLB Hons);  College of Law

Sarah is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion within the industry and runs a mentoring and networking programme geared towards women working in legal and business affairs.

She is also a trustee of the Screen Academy Foundation, a charity set up by Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan (the founders of Working Title), Barbara Broccoli and David Heyman (Heyday Films) to support young people from minority backgrounds trying to make their way in the industry.