Alex Watt > Howard Kennedy LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Howard Kennedy LLP assists an array of hoteliers and entrepreneurial businesses in the leisure industry with issues arising at every stage of the lifecycle of assets and operations. The team provides a complete offering, with experts across all relevant legal disciplines, including real estate, tax, employment, intellectual property, banking and disputes. Heading the retail and leisure offering is consultant Adam Walford, who offers expertise in commercial real estate issues and is regularly instructed by household name retailers and restaurants. Anthony Hunt, who heads up the corporate real estate team, focuses on hotel-related work, regularly handling M&A, joint ventures, listings, and management buy-outs and buy-ins. Intellectual property expert Alex Watt focuses on licensing, gaming, franchising and publishing work for brands.

Howard Kennedy LLP fields a commercial team headed by Robert Lands – who excels in brand licensing and endorsement deals – that has added further strength to its offering through the arrival of four junior practitioners over the course of 2022, including Amy Cunliffe-Rowe, formerly of 3CS Corporate Solicitors, who has quickly engaged with a number of differing mandates and has increased the group’s data protection capabilities. The team show skill in supply, agency and distribution agreements, particularly in the food and drink, hospitality and entertainment sectors, and have overseen some notable matters regarding advertising and influence level agreements, regularly fronted by Alex Watt, for marketing and retail companies.

The key name for advertising and marketing at Howard Kennedy LLP is intellectual property partner Alex Watt – his recent work has included advising retailers and influencer marketing agencies on campaigns, contracts and disputes.

Spearheaded by Mark Stephens, the busy team at Howard Kennedy LLP advises a wide array of clients such as museums and public collections, galleries and dealers; other key clients include charities, artists, photographers and ultra-high-net-worth individuals. The group’s expertise spans all aspects of art and cultural property from drafting all forms of agreements, to handling litigation and resolving disputes. Other key areas of focus are advising on the recovery of stolen and looted items of art and cultural property, as well as providing estate planning advice to artists and collectors. Daniel McClean is another highly regarded member of the practice, and Alex Watt is particularly well known for his work with street artists, while Robert Lands has a particular focus on the visual arts.