Sarah Needham

Sarah advises major DTC (direct to consumer) brands as well as media and technology companies on their commercial agreements. These include: their general supply and services contracts, their advertising and promotional contracts, their licensing deals, their IP strategy, general commercial outsourcing, in-sourcing and logistics, and publishing of digital content as well as TV production work.

• Currently provides outsourced General Counsel (GC) services to a fast-growing independent videogames publisher responsible for publishing Game of the Year 2025, advising on legal issues with videogame/app development, platform publishing deals with all the major current gaming platforms, agency and distribution deals, merchandising, and marketing contracts.
• Provided outsourced General Counsel (GC) services to one of the world’s largest social media groups.
• General Counsel for a multi-million-pound print and digital publishing group.
• Advised TV production companies on sales of those companies as well as on the variety of production contracts.
• Advised on consumer labelling and marketing issues for major food manufacturers, restaurant chains, beverage brands, and retail chains.
• Advised on agency terms for various advertising and marketing agencies and their clients.
• Advised on various contracts related to major F1 teams.

Sarah has significant experience acting on the commercial aspects of  high-value acquisitions across sectors, including retail, media, healthcare, and sport covering diligence strategy and negotiation of commercial aspects of the transactions.

• Key adviser on multi-million-pound acquisitions of major household brands such as household consumer brands, major football clubs, and major restaurant chains.
• Advised on the sale and acquisition of large TV production companies.
• Advised on the acquisition of the world’s largest independent marketing execution and production company/
• Advised on the sale of the UK’s major online transport company.

Sarah has a wide practice area covering areas such as television and videogame production agreements, film and TV options, advertising and marketing contracts, data protection compliance, theatre touring licences, and a wide variety of publishing contracts.

• Advises a fast-growing videogames publisher on all of its commercial contracts and strategy as outsourced General Counsel.
• Advised a leading technology provider in the education sector on a variety of business-critical supply and client contracts.
• Advised on the sale of a major production company by a household name in the television world.
• Advised on the acquisition of several major TV production companies.
• Advised numerous household names in the consumer goods sector on a wide variety of media contracts (marketing, advertising, licensing, supply).

Sarah advises retail clients on commercial contracts, data protection, technology agreements, labelling, and brand licensing.

• Advised various high-profile online platforms on their terms and conditions and on GDPR issues.
• Advised on consumer issues in advertising such as food labelling for major brands including Tropicana, Yum!, E&J Gallo and Anheuser Busch.
• Advised TJX (owner of TK Maxx) on regulatory action following one of the largest historical data breaches involving 45 million data records.
• Advised Campbell Soup on various sales promotions.
• Advised Jo Malone on a range of commercial agreements including franchise agreements.

Sarah advises technology clients on systems development and maintenance, hosting, database licensing, large-scale technology development contracts, technology migration projects, and app/games publishing agreements.

• Advised on various business-critical contracts for a leading technology supplier to the education sector and also to the travel sector.
• Advised on a multi-million-pound passenger information system in the airline industry.
• Advised on the launch of a major new platform for a high-street restaurant chain.

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Commercial Contracts 2017

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Brand Management 2017

Recognised by Chambers UK for Advertising and Marketing 2010–2013

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Media and Entertainment 2010–2013

Ranked in Super Lawyers 2013