Aled Walters > Hugh James > Cardiff, Wales > Lawyer Profile

Hugh James is well-versed at handling a range of media and entertainment work, including advice on contracts and rights issues, as well as in the context of corporate and financing transactions in the sector. Himself formerly head of legal at S4C, team head Aled Walters  has an excellent understanding of the commercial and legal needs of media clients and is regularly instructed by tv production companies to negotiate and draft commercial contracts, including on production and rights agreements.

Benefiting from ‘good regional resources‘, Hugh James has developed excellent ties with domestic businesses from across a range of industry sectors, and is consequently regularly instructed on significant M&A transactions, including a number of recent sell-side mandates to international purchasers. ‘Commercial and pragmatic‘ team head Gerallt Jones  is a ‘consummate professional‘, who has vast experience in the market not only on domestic M&A mandates but also ones with a cross-border element. Formerly head of legal at S4C, Aled Walters  has significant media and gaming industry knowledge, ensuring that he is particularly well-placed to advise on commercial contraccts-related work for clients in those sectors. Greg Williams is also recommended and is noted for his M&A experience in the healthcare sector.

Benefiting from ‘huge IP expertise’ across a number of Hugh James‘ practice groups, including corporate/commercial and litigation, provides ‘clear and concise’ advice to a range IP-rich clients from the gaming, sport and fintech sectors. Formerly in-house at Welsh broadcaster S4C, team head Aled Walters  has a ‘deep understanding‘ of IP and rights-related issues impacting media clients, in particular. ‘Affable and tactically astute’ commercial litigator Tracey Singlehurst-Ward is a key contact for clients engaged in IP disputes and has a strong track record in relation to copyright and trade mark infringements, breach of confidence and passing off.

The Cardiff-based licensing team at Hugh James handles the full range of alcohol, entertainment, and gambling licensing matters. Additionally, the team has particular expertise in large-scale licensing of festivals and stadia and licensing appeals. Practice head Martin Jones regularly advises on complex music festival and club licenses, as well as undertaking advocacy before licensing sub-committees and appeal courts. Aled Walters supports Jones on gambling licensing matters, and has experience with reviewing licensing documentation for prospective M&A transactions.

Working between the firm’s Cardiff headquarters and London, the team at Hugh James is highly skilled at handling complex online and land-based matters with a particular focus on sports betting and regulatory work. Commercial head Aled Walters leads the team with significant expertise in advising on M&A transactions and high-value IP licensing issues in the gaming sector. Martin Jones heads the regulatory department, advising on gambling licensing issues and enforcement procedures by the Gambling Commission. Neil Paramore recently joined the team as a consultant, having previously held the role of CFO at Novomatic.