Clintons > London, England > Firm Profile
Clintons Offices

55 DRURY LANE
COVENT GARDEN
LONDON
WC2B 5RZ
England
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Clintons > The Legal 500 Rankings
TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media and entertainment (including media finance) Tier 1
Boutique firm Clintons is a go-to for clients from the entertainment, digital media, and creative industries. The firm is home to a strong theatre practice led by James Jones, with John Cohen being another key contact; a film & TV division handling complex rights transactions and financing matters and led by Kami Naghdi who works closely with associate Luke Gornell; and a media rights acquisition team headed by Charles Gerada. The firm’s music division is split between contentious and non-contentious work, with Andrew Sharland heading up the litigation side and Berkeley Edwards leading the team on commercial matters. Andrew Myers is an experienced commercial representative of musical talent whereas David Griffiths comes recommended for his contentious practice.Practice head(s):
James Jones; Kami Naghdi; Berkeley Edwards; Andrew Sharland; Charles Gerada;
Other key lawyers:
Stephen Pidock; John Cohen; Charlie Gerada; Chris Coates; Andrew Myers; Sam Hutchinson; Stephen Joelson; Luke Gornell; James Jones; David Griffiths
Testimonials
‘This firm is very knowledgeable and able to easily navigate the complexities to producing live theatrical shows but also working on strong IPs and licencing. They always push for the best for their client and talk through the implications and protections you need. James Jones is always on hand to help us steer complex contract negotiations and advice on top level legal advice.’
‘James Jones makes the time to talk you through the legal implications, making sure you fully understand clauses and will always strive to get you the best deal. He’s very honest and you know he’s looking out for the best of the production. Qualities – Honesty, Knowledgable, relevant and current with industry practices.’
‘Led by partner, John Cohen, the firm continues to offer experience and knowledge across the entertainment industry; I never hesitate to ask for advice on any area in which I work, it’s always met with swift and informative answers.’
‘My most regular contact is with John Cohen, who represents my interests in the most effortlessly effective manner. My feedback from colleagues in the other side of any of John’s negotiations is always overwhelmingly positive- even the most prickly and notorious of producers seem to have the utmost respect for him. Stephen Pidcock also follows in this pattern of considerate, empathetic counsel and negotiation. He seems to be building an extensive broad knowledge of the business and is also delighted to assist with charitable work in the sector, which is greatly appreciated by many.’
‘I have dealt with them extensively on music catalogue sales so have had the opportunity to work with them over a prolonged period of time. They know the subject area very well, and are able to combine the corporate elements of these sales with the music expertise Clintons are renowned for.’
‘Charlie Gerada and Chris Coates on the corporate side. Andrew Sharland on the music side. They know how to get the deal done when the timing is right, and can be pragmatic when they need to be. Sam Hutchinson also deserves a mention as a corporate associate.’
‘The team’s unique ability to combine industry knowledge (notably film and theatre) and legal expertise give Clintons’ clients a real advantage, not just in negotiations but in their overall approach to deals and wider businesses. Whether it is M&A or commercial contracts, we’ve been impressed with how they guide their clients commercially, practically and legally.’
‘This boutique firm possesses top notch litigators and transactional lawyers. I have recommended major clients to them and the clients have had great success. They work very cooperatively among practice groups, taking advantage of each persons knowledge and experience.’
Key clients
Avalon Promotions Limited
Breda Cashe
Glynis Henderson Productions Limited
Immersive Everywhere Limited
Mr Tipsy’s Show UK Limited
Only Connect Partners Ltd
Swamp Motel Limited
Second Half Productions Limited
Path Entertainment Group
AK Theatricals Limited
Dramatic Events Limited
Michael Grandage Company
SGA Productions
Sony Music
Theatre Royal Haymarket
Tim Rice
George Stiles and Anthony Drewe
Don Black
Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss
Spitlip
Bill Kenwright Limited
Ambassador Theatre Group
Crossroads Live
Michael Harrison Entertainment Limited
Mischief Worldwide Limited
New Adventures Limited
Nimax Theatres Limited
Stage Entertainment Limited
Talent Artistic Group Limited
TC Beech
Jamie Wilson Productions Limited
The Lionel Bart Estate
The Anthology Group
Sherman Theatrical Entertainment Limited
Green Shoots Award
Lewis Capaldi
Hipgnosis
Muse
Griff
Daft Punk
The 1975
Max Richter
Fred Again
The Who
Bastille/Dan Smith
The Kooks
Ministry of Sound
James Bay
YM&U
Work highlights
- Retained by Talent Artistic Group Limited to provide all aspects of legal advice including M&A, international ventures, and matters arising from Covid-19 restrictions.
- Advised Amy Thomson on the disposal of her royalty stream to the band members of Swedish House Mafia.
- Advising lyricist Sir Tim Rice on all aspects of his career and catalogue.
Private client > Family Tier 3
Clintons adopts a ‘truly client focused attitude and provides bespoke and modern solutions for its clients’. The firm’s reputation in the entertainment sector is reinforced by its family practice that has a particular talent for representing clients in the public eye such as musicians, sportspeople and actors. Head of team is Liz Vernon who is an ‘impressive operator’ and is known for her work on high-value and complex financial remedy cases as well as disputes relating to children. Daniel Chalmers has recently been promoted to the partnership.Practice head(s):
Liz Vernon
Other key lawyers:
Daniel Chalmers; Dom Christophers
Testimonials
‘Clintons has a small well oiled family team that does a fantastic job for its clients. Liz Vernon is very tenacious and reads the case well. She has excellent instincts honed over a brilliant career. Dom Christophers runs a very tight operation and has an excellent bed side manner with the clients. His correspondence and his ability to drill down into the actual issues in the case is superb‘.
‘Clintons is a dynamic team. The family department is topflight. The team takes a fresh approach but is backed by a wealth of experience. Liz Vernon is an absolute star in the field of big money financial remedies’.
‘A really solid team with excellent administration and client care. Liz Vernon is a very charismatic, charming and effective solicitor, and under her leadership the team performs exceptionally. Dom Christophers is also an individual I would single out as being exceptionally talented, with an ability and acumen far ahead of his actual years. Really impressive’.
‘One of the foremost family departments in London. They specialise in all areas of family work and, although primarily known for their divorce work, they have particular expertise in adoption and surrogacy. Liz Vernon is one of the most outstanding family lawyers in London. She has bags of experience and it shows. She is able to win over clients and the opposition with her charming sense of humour. It is great fun to work with her and you can see all her clients enjoy working with her. Dom Christophers gets under the skin of cases and gives a first class service to all his clients‘.
‘The family team at Clintons has such depth of experience in representing the high net worth and celebrity clients that nothing seems to phase them. The team is innovative, really dynamic and really good fun to work with. Dan Chalmers: so accessible, but so very dynamic. Recently, deservedly, awarded partnership. A star of the future’.
‘Liz Vernon: Liz’s vast experience in high-profile cases shines in everything she does‘.
‘Dan Chalmers has recently become Partner and he is very well regarded for both finance and children work. Dom Christophers is excellent: he is highly responsive to both clients and counsel and clearly gives realistic and sensible advice. He can be direct when required with clients and always listens with care. His client management skills are exceptional’.
‘Liz Vernon is a delight to work with. She knows her cases inside out and has a natural and instinctive spot on judgement which allows her to call cases in the right way and make the right calls. She is completely committed to ensuring her clients get the right result and so deservedly has a very loyal following. Dom Christopher is an associate in the team and although junior is rapidly learning under Liz’s expert guidance and will no doubt have a promising future’.
TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Reputation management Tier 3
Clintons advises clients across the full range of privacy and reputation management issues 'with fantastic expertise and strength in depth.’ The practice is headed up by Roddy Chisholm Batten, and has specialist expertise in defamation, malicious falsehood, misuse of private information, breach of confidence, data protection, and protection from harassment matters. Karim Bouzidi advises high-profile clients in the sports sector, and associates Hayley Dilks and Caroline Hrabi are recommended for their support on the firm's growing phone-hacking practice.Practice head(s):
Roddy Chisholm Batten
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The Clintons team are easily accessible, professional and extremely knowledgeable. These are factors that are vital when you are seeking updates and reassurance on particularly difficult issues. Clintons brought years of experience to bear on my case, which made me feel that I was always being given the best possible advice. Clintons are by far the best media law firm that I have dealt with in my 26 years in the entertainment industry, providing excellent value for money.’
‘Roddy Chisholm Batten is an extremely personable, bright and experienced lawyer who genuinely cares about his clients. He meticulously guided me through my case with a calm assurance that ended with a successful conclusion. I would highly recommend Roddy to any of my industry colleagues who are looking for the highest quality service, delivered with skill and class.’
‘A strong media team which provides a great product in high-profile matters.’
‘Roddy Chisholm-Batten is a highly respected partner in this field, with a very impressive client list, particularly for musicians and actors.’
‘Very adaptable and approachable with fantastic expertise and strength in depth.’
‘Roddy Chisholm Batten – very client focused, dependable and authoritative air – gets solutions.’
Key clients
HRH The Duke of Sussex
Lily Allen
Mary Nightingale
Lisa Riley
Sir Norman Lamb (former Liberal Democrat MP)
Kings Fine Food Limited
Danny Cipriani
David Walliams
Jessie Wallace
Daniel Caltagirone (actor)
Employment > Immigration Tier 5
Clintons‘ immigration practice is headed up by dual-qualified New York attorney and England and Wales solicitor Diana Okoeva, and draws on her experience to provide a strong US immigration offering, with a particular specialism in organising transatlantic transfers in the media and entertainment industry. Meanwhile, senior associate Natasha Hotson leads the UK offering, advising clients on matters including sponsor licences, overseas business applications and recruiting into the UK.Practice head(s):
Diana Okoeva
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Extremely good technical knowledge and useful practical solutions to business and personal immigration problems.’
‘Natasha Hotson is one of those dream lawyers who not only gets the issue immediately, but foresees the other issues in advance, so we’re never on the back foot.’
‘The team at Clintons is impressive for the depth of expertise across a range of application types. The Clinton’s team excels in all areas.’
‘Natasha Hotson’s technical expertise is uncanny. Pose a tough procedural question and Natasha recites the correct approach without blinking. At the same time, Natasha is a great strategist. She is zealous in optimising her clients’ position and adept at navigating processes. Clients also benefit from Natasha’s no-nonsense approach to UK Visas and Immigration’s foibles and to life in general.’
TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Sport Tier 5
Clintons handles contractual arrangements, disputes, regulatory and disciplinary issues, brand protection and exploitation, and corporate matters for sports sector clients. Litigator Karim Bouzidi handles a variety of disputes in the sport sector.Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Karim Bouzidi has become the go-to solicitor for many football stars and sportsman, from regulatory cases to IP/reputation issues.’
Key clients
Association of Football Agents (UK) Limited
Nims Purja
The National League
Swimathon Foundation
Sportquake Limited
Didier Drogba Foundation
The Sports PR Company
Joey Barton (footballer)
Barnet Football Club
Clintons > Firm Profile
Clintons is an award winning boutique law firm, based in Covent Garden in Central London. It specialises in representing clients in the entertainment, media, creative, digital, marketing and sports industries. It provides a full and personal service to businesses, entrepreneurs and high-net-worth individuals working in these and wider commercial fields.
Types of work undertaken
Music: music is a fundamental part of Clintons’ practice and has been since the firm’s foundation over 50 years ago. Clintons has helped shape today’s music industry through its clients and the transactions and cases with which it has been involved.
Theatre: the firm’s lawyers are involved in leading productions in the UK and around the world on a regular basis, representing theatrical producers in relation to UK and overseas productions, and preparing contracts with all creative elements, theatres, investors and exploiters of subsidiary rights. Clintons also represents a large number of composers, lyricists and playwrights and, in many cases, works with their agents, designers (set, costume, lighting, sound) and choreographers. Clintons also represents investors in theatre, both institutional and private. In the case of certain highly successful composers, lyricists, playwrights and designers the firm acts in effect as agent as well as lawyers, taking care of all aspects of their business.
Family: Clintons has one of the leading family law practices in the UK. Its family law practitioners are recognised as experts in their field and have been involved in many of the leading family law cases over the last decade (including the groundbreaking case of Parlour v Parlour and the widely reported Court of Appeal decision in Hvorostovsky v Hvorostovsky). The firm is well known for representing high-profile and high-net-worth individuals; at the same time it represents a broad range of people from all walks of life in connection with divorce; pre- and post-nuptial agreements and all other family law matters.
Brand management, advertising and marketing: Clintons advises on all aspects of protection and exploitation of brands – contentious and non-contentious – for brand owners, image rights holders and those involved in the provision of marketing services. The firm also has a thriving trade mark practice and is a registered representative at both the UK IPO and at the European Trade Mark registry in Alicante. Clients include brand owners, publishers, creative individuals, digital media specialists, advertising and PR agencies, sports marketing and sponsorship consultants, direct marketing agencies, individual designers, design companies, production houses, market research companies, merchandising companies and high-profile image rights holders (including sportspeople and other celebrated individuals).
Digital media and interactive content: Clintons’ long-standing media, entertainment, copyright and technology expertise has resulted in significant practice growth in representing clients active in the digital economy, particularly in the structuring and delivery of entertainment and interactive content in music, film, computer games and social media. The firm’s clients are at the forefront of the digital delivery of audio and audio visual material, including music, film, TV content and games apps and other software. For Clintons’ creative talent client base, the firm’s detailed knowledge of the digital environment is a fundamental part of the service that the firm provides. The firm’s lawyers are uniquely qualified to guide clients through corporate structures, licensing, commercial requirements and other aspects of the protection and exploitation of creative material online.
Litigation and dispute resolution: Clintons has a formidable reputation in the area of litigation and dispute resolution. Its partners are eminent in this field and handle a full range of contentious issues, including the most complex and high-profile litigation. Although the firm deals with a wide diversity of litigation matters, it will come as no surprise that it has particular expertise in entertainment, media, creative and related industries. Indeed, many of the cases in which the firm has acted have contributed to the law governing these areas. In-house lawyers and other solicitors frequently turn to Clintons for advice on substantial and complex matters.
Reputation management and protection: Clintons has a wealth of experience in advising on reputation management, including defamation. The firm’s clients include well-known recording artists, television personalities, actors and sportsmen. Clintons also represents corporate entities including talent agencies, broadcasting and software companies. The firm’s lawyers provide sound, pragmatic advice on the full range of reputational issues including defamation (both libel and slander); infringement of privacy (including claims involving alleged phone hacking); malicious falsehood/trade libel; endorsement and image rights agreements; data protection and misuse of information; protection from harassment; and dealing with the press generally.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
---|---|---|---|
Brand management, advertising and marketing | Philip Stinson | ||
Digital media and interactive content | Tom Frederikse | ||
Film, TV and radio | Kami Naghdi | ||
Music | Berkeley Edwards (commercial) | ||
Music | Andrew Sharland (litigation) | ||
Reputation management and protection | Roddy Chisholm Batten | ||
Sport | Karim Bouzidi | ||
Theatre | John Cohen | ||
Theatre | James Jones | ||
Commercial | James Jones | ||
Corporate | Chris Coates | ||
Employment | Layla Bunni (commercial) | ||
Employment | Layla Bunni (litigation) | ||
Family | Liz Vernon | ||
Immigration | Diana Okoeva | ||
Intellectual property | Andrew Sharland (litigation) | ||
Intellectual property | Tom Frederikse (commercial) | ||
Entertainment litigation | Andrew Sharland | ||
Entertainment litigation | David Griffiths | ||
Litigation | Stephen Joelson | ||
Property | James Nethercot | ||
Private client | Andrew Kidd |