Specialising in the media and entertainment sector, Harbottle & Lewis LLP’s corporate team is sought after by notable game developers, marketing agencies, and music businesses to assist with both domestic and cross-border M&A, joint ventures, and investments. The group stands out in particular for its extensive experience advising on high-value and high-profile transactions, most notably the sale of Queen’s music catalogue in 2024. Spearheading the practice is Charles Leveque who specialises in public and private M&A, investments, and joint ventures, with a focus on the technology, media and entertainment, and retail sectors. Tom Macleod is another key member of the department and concentrates on acquisitions, disposals, and joint ventures. At the associate level, Emily Miles, Teresa Walker, and Katerina Capras are the names to note.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Collaborative and pragmatic, I had total confidence that each practitioner had a knowledge of the overall context, and thus the ability to prioritise and communicate that I've not encountered in any other practice. Their knowledge and experience of the sector is unsurpassed.’
‘Charles Leveque was a pleasure to deal with. His willingness to listen to us as the clients and to translate this both into actions and documentation was hugely valuable. Katerina Capras' involvement was a source of significant reassurance, and Zoey Forbes' involvement was critical.’
‘The team feel like genuine advisers with a real interest in the direction of travel for our business. High intellect, not just in respect of legal matters, but also in understanding and exploring commercial imperatives and financial implications. Pragmatic in driving for the right outcome for us rather than a strict legalistic view.’
‘Anthony Littner and Tom Macleod always approach things in good humour and balance this with the often serious nature of the matters with hand.’
‘The M&A team at Harbottle is responsive and extremely astute. They routinely find intelligent solutions to difficult problems and navigate the various tricky obstacles that corporate deals can present with brains and charm. I have worked with a variety of other firms and easily rate Harbottle as the head of the pack.’
‘Edward Lane and Colin Howes are outstanding lawyers with a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the process and the client's needs. When working with them at my side, I have always felt completely secure that our needs were being met and the company was in the safest of hands.’
Key clients
- Queen
- Shareholders of Wushu Studios Ltd
- Metalogalva - Irmãos Silvas, SA
- Globe Groupe
- MyTAG Ltd
- Mediadrive
- Charlotte Tilbury MBE
Work highlights
Advised Queen on the sale of its entire music catalogue to Sony Music Entertainment.
Advised the shareholders of Wushu Studios Ltd on its sale to Keywords Studios.
Lawyers
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Practice head
Charles Leveque
Other key lawyers
Tom Macleod; Emily Miles; Teresa Walker; Katerina Capras; Anthony Littner; Edward Lane; Colin Howes; Alex Gays