Media

Our practical, commercial approach ensures clients’ interests are protected in both competitive and commercial contexts when advising on advertising and marketing. We assist with campaign approvals, endorsement agreements, celebrity tieins, regulatory compliance (e.g. CAP Code), influencer partnerships and digital ad strategy. Whether reviewing copy, advising on ground-breaking social media content or managing complaints and ASA audits, we help clients to protect brands while maximising promotional impact. 

• Reviewed and updated standard terms used by the BBC worldwide and its (then) global news subsidiary for the placement of digital, TV and multi-platform advertising transactions.
• Supporting in-house advertising sales teams with TV and online campaigns, including content creation and standard terms/insertion orders and programmatic.
• Procuring agencies and negotiating high-value website software redevelopment and relaunch agreements for major brands such as BBC Earth, Dr Who, Top Gear and Good Food.
• Advised an advertising media agency on various contractual issues arising with its clients.
• Developed and launched a men’s lifestyle brand involving print media, online portal, online advertisers and commercial partnerships.
• Advised ITV on addressable advertising deals, series stacking and related VOD and IP delivery issues.
• Advised UKTV on advertising sales via C4.
• Advised on the successful launch of a high-profile retail store in a prime Oxford Circus London site from a marketing law perspective.
• Advised an online marketing platform on usage rights and the terms of its relationships with customers and suppliers.
• Advised a leading programmatic advertising agency in relation to claims of click-fraud, including claims for damages from a leading transport company.
• Advised on a range of Advertising Standards Complaints and Clearcast clearance for clients such as easyJet, 888.com, Fullers and others.
• Advised Otherway Limited, a London advertising agency, on its contractual arrangements for advertising campaigns with various brands including Heineken and HomeBase.
• Provided copy clearance and advertising advice to Dennis Media.
• Advised Google in relation to its KeyWord and AdWord policies for gambling.
• News Group : advised on high-profile promotions, Books for Schools, Music4You and Syndicates.

We help clients navigate the legal complexities of the art world, from artist representation agreements, gallery consignment, exhibition and loan documentation, to IP protection and authenticity disputes. Our team’s extensive experience in providing strategic guidance on art-sector deals ensures collectors, galleries and artists are supported with tailored contracts, risk mitigation, and reputation protection throughout transactions and events.  

• Drafted publishing agreements with leading publishers and all requisite contractual agreements on behalf of a world-renowned art collector.  
• Advised on the sale of multiple high-profile artworks through the use of digital non-fungible tokens (NFTs).  
• Advised the client on relation to the sale of a Chopin Manuscript and drafted and negotiated the terms of a Sale Contract with The Fryderyk Chopin Institute. 
• Instructed by a family trust in relation to a provenance dispute with a leading international auction house.  
• Represented the consignor of a collection of inherited art works in negotiations with various auction houses.   
• Drafted terms and conditions for an antiques dealer. 
• Advised a photographer in relation to a copyright dispute.  

Our experienced broadcasting lawyers provide strategic advice on content licensing, transmission rights, carriage agreements, frequency regulation and coproduction arrangements. We advise broadcasters, production companies and onair talent on regulatory obligations (Ofcom), term deals, rights clearance, talent licensing and sponsorship. Our indepth sector knowledge enables us to support clients through highpressure negotiations, compliance challenges and evolving distribution platforms, ensuring content reaches audiences without costly legal pitfalls.  

• Reviewed and updated standard terms used by the BBC worldwide and its (then) global news subsidiary for the placement of digital, TV and multi-platform advertising transactions. 
• Negotiating a groundbreaking deal to air BBC programming on a peer-to-peer network.  
• Advising on the development and publication of a host of major UK apps for the BBC, including smart TV apps, news, iPlayer and games apps.  
• Opposed the continuation of a Mareva injunction on behalf of the owner of four satellite television broadcasting channels unlawfully sequestrated by the client’s former business partner. 
• Acted for a leading independent television production company in relation to its audit of the BBC.  
• Advised ITV on addressable advertising deals, series stacking and related VOD and IP delivery issues.  
• Advised UKTV on advertising sales via C4.  
• Advised a network of commercial radio stations operating nationally known brands.  
• Developed an IP rights exploitation strategy for a combined online radio station, artist agency and online download store for unsigned music.  
• Acted for a high-profile client in the media sector against a well-known radio broadcaster, in a successful restrictive covenant dispute and breach of contract claim.  
• A member of the ITN News pre-broadcast legal panel giving clearance from the newsroom, working with directly with journalists and editors.  

Our team provides strategic advice on commercial agreements, encompassing distribution, agency, sponsorship, production and services deals in the media landscape. With deep sector insight, we draft and negotiate complex arrangements to reflect commercial objectives, IP exploitation and revenue models. Whether you’re securing rights, structuring JV arrangements or governing global supply chains, we work to deliver clear, enforceable contracts aligned with clients’ strategic and operational aims. 

• Advised on merchandising and sponsorship agreements, including with Disney, Penguin Clothing and Financial Times.
• Advised brands, production houses and other companies within the creative industries on a variety of agreements dealing with acquisition and exploitation of intellectual property, including option, development, co-production and talent agreements.
• Advised two large social media platforms in relation to the commercial modelling of their offerings, terms and conditions of business, and rules for age-gating in relation to adult products.
• Advised on the Roblox consumer terms and account closures.
• Supporting in- house advertising sales teams with TV and online campaigns, including content creation and standard terms/insertion orders and programmatic.
• Procuring agencies and negotiating high-value website software redevelopment and relaunch agreements for major brands such as BBC Earth, Dr Who, Top Gear and Good Food.
• Provided data and commercial advice to a range of theatre organisations and venues, such as Punchdrunk and the Royal National Theatre.
• Provided a range of commercial and data advice to the major online US publisher O’Reilly.
• Provided commercial and data advice to Sky.
• Agreeing terms with content discovery platforms.
• Drafted publishing agreements with leading publishers and all requisite contractual agreements on behalf of a world-renowned art collector.
• Undertaking major deals for BT with deal value in the order of US$200m.
• Advised Accent Press on its relationship with Headline.
• Advised a supplier of key software solutions to the motion picture industry.
• Provided a range of data protection and commercial technology advice to Sony Pictures in relation to on-set shoots and online services.
• Advised on the terms of the ITV media sales terms.
• Advised a Royal Charter Body on its promotional campaigns/competitions and its agreements with advertising agencies.

Working closely with clients, we ensure that corporate transactions within media meet strategic, regulatory, and shareholder requirements. We support M&A, equity investments, reorganisations and joint ventures, aligning with broadcasting, publishing, entertainment and digital sectors. Our team combines corporate legal expertise with sector knowledge to facilitate growth, manage stakeholder interests and deliver efficient, compliant outcomes in transactions ranging from boutique deals to complex, cross-border structures.  

• Advising a well-known theatre company on a number of corporate and corporate finance matters.  
• Structured a £100m auction process for the sale of a new media company to UK and US bidders.  
• Advised Media 10 on the sale of its entire Asia design portfolio to Blackstone-owned, Clarion Events.  
• Commercial and corporate structuring documentation for various media startup companies in the publishing and entertainment sectors.  
• Advised corporate entities in the emerging field of Artificial Intelligence and its implications to rights-holders and content creators, including musicians and technology companies.  
• Provided IP-related advice including corporate valuation services, investment fundraising, and preparation for sale for companies in music tech, data services, and app/web development sectors. 
• Advised Future plc on four acquisitions. 

Our team has proven expertise in advising on data protection across digital media, publishing and broadcast environments. We counsel on GDPR, privacy-by-design, user consent, profiling, marketing and cross-border transfers. We draft policies, manage breach responses, and advise on regulatory interactions. With a practical blend of tech and legal insight, we help clients fuse regulatory compliance into creative workflows and digital platforms while safeguarding reputation and audience trust.  

• Advised various production companies on their data protection compliance programmes, including producing procedures for acquisition of consents, contributor (including child contributor) releases, DPIAs, legitimate interest assessments, appropriate policy documents, data retention and criminal record compliance.  
• Advising on the development and publication of a host of major UK apps for the BBC, including smart TV apps, news, iPlayer and games apps.  
• Undertook a full GDPR compliance programme for MOO including detailed interviews, compliance analysis and a suite of bespoke documentation to ensure MOO was compliant before the deadline. 
• Advised on data use in targeted social media campaigns.  
• Advised on permissions for collecting personal data in marketing and surveying.  
• Provided data and commercial advice to a range of theatre organisations and venues, such as Punchdrunk and the Royal National Theatre.  
• Provided a range of commercial and data advice to the major online US publisher O’Reilly.  
• Provided commercial and data advice to Sky.  
• Provided a range of data protection and commercial technology advice to Sony Pictures in relation to on-set shoots and online services.  

Our team works swiftly to assess risk, protect reputations, and resolve disputes efficiently in defamation and reputation matters. We support media organisations, publishers, influencers and talent with pre-publication clearance, post-publication takedown and defamation actions. From manuscript vetting to injunctive relief, regulatory interactions and settlement negotiations, we balance freedom of expression with reputation protection. 

• Acted for a number of high-profile reality TV stars in relation to potentially damaging allegations that could threaten their public image. 
• Advised a public relations firm on a variety of employment-related matters, including in relation to GDPR, the recruitment of staff, dismissals, a sabbatical policy, and in relation to a disgruntled former consultant who was posting defamatory comments about the company’s employers and officers online.  
• Extensive experience in dispute resolution, including applications for injunctions, acting for claimants or defendants, in defamation, privacy, infringement of copyright and contempt of court claims. 
• Advised on numerous disputes regarding the Hitman game series.  
• Advised specialist media insurers in defamation and IP infringement claims. 
• Advised in a High Court defamation case in which Facebook was claimed to be a publisher and where the claimant sued the wrong entity. 
• Represented a major operator of international, social media platforms on a wide range of UK matters including social media content issues (defamation claims, online scamming, distance selling issues, hate speech issues, ‘wrong entity’ issues, copyright issues, and trade mark issues); together with regulatory aspects of social media (the Online Safety Act, jurisdictional issues, and electoral law issues).  
• Involved in lobbying for changes to the law of defamation, many of which were implemented in the Defamation Act 2013.  
• Represented high-profile individuals in libel claims, achieving prompt and successful settlements.  
• Successfully defending Private Eye magazine in the longest running UK libel claim.  
• Managed large-scale libel litigation for publishing clients, most notably Loutchansky v Simon & Schuster and Mohammed Fayed v Conde Nast.  
• Acted for a leading football manager in a libel action resulting in the highest recorded award of damages by a jury against a national newspaper.  

Our leading experts advise on contentious media matters, including commercial disputes, IP infringements, defamation, regulatory investigations and funding breakdowns. We guide clients through negotiation, arbitration, litigation and enforcement. Drawing on deep sector knowledge, we craft outcomes that minimise reputational damage and cost exposure,  whether defending a broadcaster, pursuing a claim against a production partner, or resolving a contract breach with talent or suppliers.  

• Acted for a film producer in a major film dispute leading to an AFMA arbitration in Los Angeles. 
• Extensive experience in dispute resolution, including applications for injunctions, acting for claimants or defendants, in defamation, privacy, infringement of copyright and contempt of court claims. 
• Advised on numerous disputes regarding the Hitman game series.  
• Advised specialist media insurers in defamation and IP infringement claims. 
• Represented high-profile individuals in libel claims, achieving prompt and successful settlements.  
• Acted for an advertising agency in relation to a pan-European injunction obtained by a leading rock band for alleged copyright infringement on a Christmas campaign for a well-known jeans company.  
• Advised on the Court of Appeal and parallel Californian arbitration regarding the £17m film delivery claim re Starbright.  
• Acted for the Turkish licensee of the MTV and Nickelodeon channels in litigation with Vicaom. 
• Advised a PR agency on a substantial fee claim against a client in the context of a listing.  
• Acted for a media company in defending intellectual property claims brought by a supermodel.  
• Advised a design consultancy on a dispute with a client over the redesign of a major theatre.  
• Advised a media design business on disputes with customers arising out of various campaigns.  
• Successfully defending Private Eye magazine in the longest running UK libel claim.  
• Obtaining a “super-injunction” to protect the privacy of a successful sportsman.  
• Winning a landmark reported copyright case for joint authorship of the song “Young at Heart” by The Bluebells used in a VW TV advertisement.  

We provide specialist advice on all aspects of employment in the media sector, covering freelancer/contractor status, talent agreements, restrictive covenants, disciplinary issues and redundancies. Whether advising on cast contracts, presenter exits or diversity obligations, we help media employers stay compliant across broadcast, digital and editorial teams. Our pragmatic approach balances confidentiality, reputational sensitivity and HR best practice in fast-moving creative environments. 

• Advised a Korean marketing company on matters including senior employee exits, an Employment Tribunal dispute, business immigration issues, and data protection, and drafted employment contracts and staff handbook. 
• Advised a number of TMT clients on site reductions, restructuring, redundancies, site closures, and changes to terms and conditions. 
• Acted as project lead to provide post-merger integration advice on a cross-border acquisition to a NASDAQ listed technology and manufacturing business.  
• Led the employment input on a site disposal for a TMT client group, which included complex post-completion financial and management commitments.  
• Advised a US and European tech business on a sensitive and complex, multi-party bullying and harassment investigation, as well as on follow-up remedial action involving executive-level staff.  
• Provided key recommendations and coordinated cross-border advice on a global reduction in force VR policy and enhanced severance terms for a technology client.  
• Represented a high-profile client against a news broadcaster in a race and political belief discrimination claim. 
• Acted for a high-profile client in the media sector against a well-known radio broadcaster, in a successful restrictive covenant dispute and breach of contract claim.  
• Represented two senior advertising executives in an age discrimination claim against a well-known agency, achieving a positive negotiated exit which included a release from all restrictive covenants.  
• Acted for a producer against a well-known TV production company in respect of a disability discrimination claim.  
• Advised an executive producer in respect of an unfair dismissal and sex discrimination claim and negotiated a favourable outcome including future credits.  
• Advised high-profile celebrities in connection with the employment law aspects of investment into their eponymous businesses (including a renowned jeweller and chef), including as regards the drafting of new service agreements and incentive schemes.  
• Advising a high-profile model agency on its terms of employment, remuneration and maternity policies and the post-termination competitive activity of former employees.  
• Advised a publishing company on performance management and sickness absence issues.  
• Advised a managing director on the termination of his employment by a TV production company.  
• Advised a public relations firm on a variety of employment-related matters, including in relation to GDPR, the recruitment of staff, dismissals, a sabbatical policy, and in relation to a disgruntled former consultant who was posting defamatory comments about the company’s employers and officers online.  

Our leading media lawyers advise on all aspects of film and television projects, covering development, financing, production, distribution, coproduction and talent deals. We structure complex cross-border arrangements, chain-of-title, director/actor agreements, guild compliance and platform licence deals. Our media team’s strong track record in music-related TV/film matters means we deliver strategic, commercial legal support at every production stage.  

• Acted for a film producer in a major film dispute leading to an AFMA arbitration in Los Angeles. 
• Acted for and advised a film production company in relation to claim against (i) its accountants and auditors, as a result of negligence and breach of professional duties in relation to audit, accountancy work and obtaining finance, and (ii) a company instructed to advise on and procure the requisite funds to complete the film. 
• Acted for a number of high-profile reality TV stars in relation to potentially damaging allegations that could threaten their public image. 
• Advised the producer of an award-winning TV drama series on an equity investment by Channel 4.  
• Reviewed and updated standard terms used by the BBC worldwide and its (then) global news subsidiary for the placement of digital, TV and multi-platform advertising transactions. 
• Acted for a film producer in an intellectual property dispute with the BBC in relation to a TV film made about the art of an internationally renowned photographer. 
• Advised production houses on commissioning and distribution agreements with major broadcasters, including the BBC for ‘Sarah and Duck’, a successful pre-school animation for CBeebies.  
• Advised a variety of media companies on numerous builds of platforms, including the digital home of Harry Potter (including e-commerce and experiential site) and apps developed for Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s KEO Films.  
• Supported a Premier League football club in connection with its decision to agree to a fly-on-the-wall documentary and the ensuing agreement with the production company.  
• Supporting in- house advertising sales teams with TV and online campaigns, including content creation and standard terms/insertion orders and programmatic. 
• Negotiated the production, finance and distribution agreements for numerous British and international film industry clients including acting for the UK Film Council and the British Film Institute.  
• The King’s Speech: advice on  film option agreement,  screenplay writer’s agreement and related matters.  
• Former General Counsel and EVP Business and Legal Affairs for Marv Studios Limited.  
• Advised Marv Studios on all complex negotiations for development projects, productions and co-productions, including multi-tier, cross-territory secured financings and multi-platform distribution agreements and output deals including work on television series in development.  
• Structured and negotiated all business and legal affairs agreements related to the development, production and distribution of Argylle (Apple TV+ and Universal) and Tetris (Apple TV+), including all A-list talent agreements, UK and US guild contracts and compliance, chain of title, bank finance and tax credit issues, distribution and delivery and the like.  
• Represented True Brit in its co-finance and distribution of ten feature films in 2023-2024.  
• Represented Anton Capital in the finance and distribution of its film Greenland by STX.  
• Advised the producers of Borg v. McEnroe on US guild issues.  
• Represented Lewis Capaldi in the production of “Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now”.  
• Advised Baby Cow Productions on US guild issues.  
• Represented Something Else in the co-production of two podcasts based on film properties.  
• Negotiated master and publishing sync licences for numerous feature films and television projects. 
• Advising two well-known animation companies behind several successful and award-winning productions.  
• Warner Bros v Channel 4 (Clockwork Orange case) – still one of the leading cases on fair dealing involving a Channel 4 documentary on Stanley Kubrick’s notorious film.  
• Forstater v Python (Monty) Pictures (Holy Grail case) – a claim for rectification of a producer’s agreement against the members of Monty Python. 

With deep sector knowledge, we support media clients through the legal complexities of gambling, gaming and betting content, sponsorship and advertising. We advise on regulatory compliance (e.g. Gambling Commission), affiliate marketing, platform partnerships, esports broadcasting and ageverification obligations. Our team’s extensive experience helps mitigate risks around content deployment, IP use and regulatory investigations in converging media and gaming ecosystems.  

• Advised ITV plc on the legality of its gaming and competitions formats.  
• Advised News Group, ESPN and other media outlets on their gambling policies and potential impact of gambling laws on media offerings.  
• Providing regulatory advice to an adult chat room and adult content providers on the terms and impact of UK legislation in relation to obscene publications.  
• Advised ITV on its competitions and potential exposure to gambling.  
• Advised a leading online gaming company on global IP strategy, trade mark prosecution, domain name issues and IP disputes, data protection issues, and collaboration agreements with different Asian partners. 

Our highly specialist lawyers advise on all aspects of IP within media, protecting and exploiting copyrights, trade marks, design rights, format rights, trade secrets, and domain names. We structure protection strategies, licensing frameworks, clearance processes and enforcement actions. Whether managing multi-territory rights for a series, copyright clearance in publishing, brand licensing or tackling infringement, we safeguard creativity and commercial value.  

• Acted for a film producer in an intellectual property dispute with the BBC in relation to a TV film made about the art of an internationally renowned photographer. 
• Acted for a client in a claim of copyright infringement against a leading UK TV production company who is alleged to have copied the format of a TV series for his own production.  
• Advised on merchandising and sponsorship agreements, including with Disney, Penguin Clothing and Financial Times.  
• Acted for an advertising agency in relation to a pan-European injunction obtained by a leading rock band for alleged copyright infringement on a Christmas campaign for a well-known jeans company.  
• Advised award-winning digital educational film publishers for many years on the licensing of rights, protection of IP and data protection, and commercial engagement with government entities, joint ventures, data sharing agreements and private companies. 
• Advised  on aspects of the intellectual property rights to ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’. 
• Advised Disney on its IP and branding across its TV business (channel agreements, licensing and distribution agreements). 
• Advised the rightsholders of a famous dead author’s oeuvre, leading to several West End theatrical productions and options for several films.  
• Advised on a passing off claim in the High Court – Other Creative Ltd v Mother Family Ltd  EWHC 3172 (Ch).  
• Acted in a Supreme Court of Canada case on a copyright decision regarding fair dealing and original works in law reports – CCH Canadian Ltd. v Law Society of Upper Canada [2004] SCC 13.  
• Advised on bespoke copyright fonts for marketing and advertising. 
• Advised in a High Court defamation case in which Facebook was claimed to be a publisher and where the claimant sued the wrong entity. 
• Represented a major operator of international, social media platforms on a wide range of UK matters including social media content issues (defamation claims, online scamming, distance selling issues, hate speech issues, ‘wrong entity’ issues, copyright issues, and trade mark issues); together with regulatory aspects of social media (the Online Safety Act, jurisdictional issues, and electoral law issues).  
• Represented the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in UK trade mark infringement, passing off and copyright matters.  
• Represented a major satellite TV channel on its UK and EU trade mark matters.  
• Represented the German publisher Gruner & Jahr in UK trade mark opposition matters.  

We assist on joint venture agreements, coproduction arrangements and strategic partnerships across media genres. From format collaboration in TV to digital platform rollouts or film financing ventures, we draft and negotiate equitable structures with clear governance, exit mechanisms and rights allocation. We support cooperation on high-value media content while managing commercial, creative and reputational risk.  

• Advised a leading football agent on his exit from a joint venture with a Dutch agency.  
• Advised a digital arts platform which then led to acting as their main lawyer providing pragmatic advice on their commercial projects, drafting and successfully negotiating all aspects of exploitation of the platform’s rights overseas, a joint venture and establishing a working set of precedents for the filming of theatrical productions. 
• Acted for BT plc on its exit from the Open TV platform joint venture. 
• Acted for various cable TV networks on the establishment of a number of joint ventures in the UK and the Netherlands. 

Our team delivers strategic guidance to clients negotiating licensing agreements – spanning content, music, brand, digital distribution, format rights and merchandising. We structure clear, commercially viable deals with tailored usage scopes, fees, territory rights and enforcement provisions. Our sector-specialist advice ensures clients maximise monetisation opportunities while safeguarding IP, compliance and reputational integrity across platforms and territories.  

• Advised on and drafted agreements relating to the licensing and distribution of digital education products worldwide for Twig. 
• Supported a creative studio that combines technology and creativity to produce immersive experience for high-profile brands and landmark venues with a suite of template documents for the acquisition and licensing of its immersive experiences. 
• Licensing content to/from online publishers.  
• Advised a television network on licensing/merchandising of one of its characters. 
• Negotiated master and publishing sync licences for numerous feature films and television projects. 
• Acted for Canal Plus on the consortium arrangements, and licensing arrangements, for the £100m joint acquisition of FA Premier League TV rights, and acquisitions and disposals of satellite transponder capacity. 

Our media experts are on hand to provide clear, strategic advice, assisting clients in navigating option agreements for film, TV, music publishing and digital content. We structure terms for rights acquisition, exclusive periods, renewal triggers, payment mechanisms, and chain-of-title assurances. Our careful drafting ensures adaptability aligned with market trends, preserving both creative freedom and investment potential.  

• Advising independent authors and artists in relation to publishing contracts, television option agreements and podcast deals.  
• Acted for United Agents in negotiating literary option, exec producer and voice acting agreements with Universal Studios for Hollywood A-List talent.  
• Advised brands, production houses and other companies within the creative industries on a variety of agreements dealing with acquisition and exploitation of intellectual property, including option, development, co-production and talent agreements.  
• Advised brands, production houses and other companies within the creative industries on a variety of agreements dealing with acquisition and exploitation of intellectual property, including option, development, co-production and talent agreements.  
• Advised the rightsholders of a famous dead author’s oeuvre, leading to several West End theatrical productions and options for several films.  

Our specialist lawyers have unrivalled expertise in photography law, including licensing, model and location releases, editorial vs commercial usage, rights clearance, acquisitions and sales, and IP registration. We advise publishers, advertisers, galleries and brands on contract drafting and enforcement. Whether structuring global usage deals, handling infringement claims or securing rep rights for digital media, we protect artistic and commercial interests.  

• Acted for a film producer in an intellectual property dispute with the BBC in relation to a TV film made about the art of an internationally renowned photographer. 
• General counsel for international photography agency LGA Management, advising on all aspects of commercial relationships with photographers, makeup artists, agencies and advertising houses including in relation to image rights, endorsements, shoot engagements and general T&C.  
• Advised a photographer on a claim for copyright infringement against a Magazine after a photograph was used for one of the copies in 1995 and subsequently on merchandise appearing in Selfridges. 
• Acted for Canon on the sale of print-on-demand business Kite.ly to Prodigi. 

Advising on publishing requires a deep understanding of editorial, rights exploitation, distribution, author agreements and pre-publication risk. Our team regularly advises publishers, editors, authors and platforms on contracts, permissions, defamation clearance and digital transition strategy. With sector-specific insight, we help manage complex workflows, maximise revenue, and mitigate legal risk – all while protecting editorial integrity.  

• Acted for the estate of a famous Spanish poet whose manuscript was being auctioned at Christies without the estate’s consent.  
• Advised a world famous author of criminal fiction in relation to a dispute with his former agent.  
• Drafted publishing agreements with leading publishers and all requisite contractual agreements on behalf of a world-renowned art collector.  
• Liaison with global print and online media including The Daily Telegraph, BBC, Reuters and the Sydney Morning Herald on a range of legal matters. 
• Advised individual authors, content creators and large media publishers on the relevant law. 
• Advised on post-publication dispute resolution including from press regulators such as IPSO and Impress.  
• Advised specialist insurers on risk and pragmatic solutions to issues. 
• Acted for the publisher client in Bowman v MGN Ltd [2010] and KC v MGN Ltd [2012] CA.  
• Involved in lobbying for changes to the law of defamation, many of which were implemented in the Defamation Act 2013.  
• Advising DC Thomson on various international co-productions and ‘white label’ publishing deals with major household names including Nickelodeon and Disney. 
• Successfully acted for a publishing client facing trade mark infringement and passing off threats by the owner of a renowned motor racing event. 
• Extensive experience in providing pre-publication legal reports and editing advice to book and publishers on the full range of non-fiction and fiction material, including memoirs of celebrities, politicians, musicians and sports people, unauthorised biographies, misery memoirs, humorous books and wellbeing books 
• Managed large-scale libel litigation for publishing clients, most notably Loutchansky v Simon & Schuster and Mohammed Fayed v Conde Nast.  

We fully understand how to navigate complex regulatory matters in media, covering Ofcom, ASA, IPSO/Impress, GDPR, financial promotions, advertising standards, and broadcasting codes. Our team advises on compliance frameworks, investigation responses, licence applications and appeals. With experience across traditional and new media, we help clients pre-empt regulatory challenges and resolve matters swiftly to protect trust and operations.  

• Acted for a film producer in a major film dispute leading to an AFMA arbitration in Los Angeles.
• Advised MOO, the print platform, on its data protection compliance programme, including developing notices, policies and training.
• Advised Tesco.com on its original online supermarket offering, as well as commercial, IP and regulatory advice on several of its technology-based products added over time, including: Tesco Marketplace (its third party seller marketplace); Tesco Digital (its branded digital media store) and Tesco Property Market (its peer-to-peer house sales marketplace).

Our commercially minded approach combines sector-specific insight with technology expertise, enabling media clients to innovate confidently. We advise on digital platforms, streaming services, ad tech, apps, SaaS, AI, data licensing, cybersecurity, outsourcing and platform contracts. Our team helps manage tech rollouts, ensure IP clarity, protect data, and maintain regulatory compliance in media-driven digital transformations.  

• Supported a creative studio that combines technology and creativity to produce immersive experience for high-profile brands and landmark venues with a suite of template documents for the acquisition and licensing of its immersive experiences. 
• Procuring agencies and negotiating high-value website software redevelopment and relaunch agreements for major brands such as BBC Earth, Dr Who, Top Gear and Good Food.  
• Advising on the development and publication of a host of major UK apps for the BBC, including smart TV apps, news, iPlayer and games apps.  
• Agreeing terms with content discovery platforms.  

Our team’s extensive experience helps clients mitigate risks and resolve disputes in theatre productions, touring shows and live events. We regularly advise on  venue agreements, production financing, talent contracts, rights clearances, sponsorship deals and insurance arrangements. With sector insight and commercial rigour, we help shape legal frameworks that protect creative vision, financial investment and audience engagement across stages big and small.  

• Advised a well-known theatre company on a number of corporate and corporate finance matters.  
• Advised a well-established theatre producer on all aspects of a new musical from workshop to off West End run, including the professional filming of the same and on a new version of a highly successful West End musical. 
• Advised on the early stages of a new musical and its concept album.   
• Provided data and commercial advice to a range of theatre organisations and venues, such as Punchdrunk and the Royal National Theatre.  
• Advised a design consultancy on a dispute with a client over the redesign of a major theatre.