Chambers and Partners 2009

Please click here for a review of our editorial coverage in this year's Chambers and Partners Directory.

Advertising and Marketing
With "multitudes of excellent media and advertising lawyers," this firm is clearly a rising player. The team "works seamlessly; you ask a question, and you get the resources of the whole group." It advises advertising and marketing agencies and service providers including Ask, Chime and McCann Erickson. The firm also advises, amongst others, Comic Relief, Virgin and Vodafone on their global advertising activities. Stand-out litigation partner Gerrard Tyrrell is "a great choice on many big legal issues." The "sharp and proactive" Mark Owen works on issues relating to brand protection and regulatory matters within new media. IP and commercial litigator Andy Millmore joined the firm as a partner in August 2007. He acts frequently for major agency names in the industry.

Asset Finance
Alison Wilds at Harbottle & Lewis LLP possesses an "impressive depth of knowledge across all aviation matters." In-house experience and "a sharp commercial eye" mean that she is regularly instructed by Virgin Atlantic Airways and Mountain Aviation, which she advised on the purchase of a Raytheon Hawker aircraft.

Aviation
This practice, comprising two partners, carries out a mixture of work, including leasing, sale of second-hand aircraft, purchase of corporate jets and commercial agreements. Recently, the team represented a purchaser in relation to the financing of an Embraer Legacy 600 series aircraft, and was also involved in negotiating post-acquisition operational and commercial arrangements. The recent departure of Douglas Lochhead was a blow for the practice, but with a new lead practitioner and Virgin Atlantic continuing to provide a substantial amount of work for the firm, especially on leasing matters, it will no doubt continue to build upon its already solid reputation. Alison Wilds is the contact for aviation matters.

Charities
This charities practice is closely tied to the firm's expertise in the media sector and is famed for its representation of arts-related charities. The team represents Comic Relief, advising it on issues relating to a possible merger with a smaller charity. It also provides general advice on employment, property and media law. Although work for arts charities remains the heart of the practice, the group does handle work for other organisations, including Teenage Cancer Trust, Tommy's the Baby Charity and Virgin Unite. Head of the charities team, Robert Porter "knows his stuff back to front, offering a wealth of knowledge and a fresh perspective on charity law."

Corporate Finance : Lower Mid-Market
"The energy and focus of this corporate team more than make up for its relative lack of size," sources say, and its compact nature is also seen as an advantage much of the time as it brings an extra level of client care. The team has a specialism in the media and technology sectors, where it is viewed by clients as the first port of call for corporate transactions. It advised the shareholders of production company Objective Productions on its sale to All3Media, and represented DCD Media on its acquisition of Prospect Pictures, September Holdings and West Park Pictures in a £19 million deal. Tim Parker led the team working on the DCD Media deal and acted for Channel 4 on its joint venture purchase of 50% of the shares in Box Television. "He understands your position early on, gets the job done and is always reasonable," clients say. The esteemed Colin Howes has been busy with his M&A-based practice in recent months, advising Virgin Group on the sale of 90% of the shares in Virgin Books to Random House Publishing. He also acted for Objective Productions.

Defamation/Reputation Management
Noted for its flexibility, resourcefulness and creativity in finding solutions, this team also benefits from a strong support team and well-prepared, technically accomplished associates. The lawyers advise authors, publishers, television companies and film producers on pre-publication matters. The firm recently acted on a successful privacy, breach of confidence and infringement of copyright claim made by HRH The Prince of Wales against the publishers of The Mail on Sunday following the paper's publication of an extract from the Prince's diaries. The newspaper paid damages and legal costs, gave undertakings not to repeat the material and returned the Prince's diaries. The team also represents Kate Middleton against a range of media organisations and picture agencies in claims of infringement of privacy and harassment. A "powerful contender," Gerrard Tyrrell gives pragmatic solutions and has expertise in reputation management, privacy and defamation, among other matters. Jo Sanders "really comes up with solutions and is plainly superb in her dealings with clients," sources say. Louise Prince is currently on maternity leave.

Employment: International
Representing a broad range of media, entertainment and leisure sector clients in day-to-day employment matters, this group has also seen an increase in work for senior executives on contract terminations and new appointments. The group is also handling more restrictive covenant matters, for both employers and employees. Recent highlights include advising Channel 4 on TUPE issues. Clients say the lawyers are "incredibly practical, thorough and responsive; they are good at thinking on their feet and work well under pressure." Marian Derham leads the outfit.

Family
Tom Amlot at Harbottle & Lewis LLP can "always find the answers to your questions" according to clients. Making use of the firm's media connections, he often advises clients in the entertainment industry on matrimonial finance and private child-related work. He has recently embraced collaborative work and mediation, and applies these methods to a variety of disputes.

Information Technology
Digital media and e-commerce make up this firm's staple work, along with data protection and telecoms issues. The lawyers advised Geometrics on a middleware deal, acting initially on fund-raising and then on significant software licensing and related IT issues. The firm is also advising Vtesse on an IT/telecoms-related appeal to the Court of First Instance, and on an appeal to the UK Lands Tribunal concerning the valuation of lit fibre for business rates purposes. Mark Owen jointly heads the practice with the "experienced and thorough" Mark Phillips. Channel 4, UK Software and 19 Management feature on the group's client list, and the lawyers recently assisted BARB with the tenders for long-term contracts for the television audience measurement system.

Intellectual Property : General
Recognised for its strengths in soft IP, this firm acts for Virgin in disputes relating to the Virgin brand and also represented Lucasfilm in a design dispute and anti-piracy matter against Shepperton Design Studios in the High Court. Although traditionally a niche media firm, it is becoming a more recognised name within IP. It handles litigation and also advises on trade mark licences, branding, content licensing and broadcast clearance, among other areas. Examples here include acting for Channel 4 on its joint venture with Emap. The team also has expertise in design rights and offers strategic advice to businesses through its Creative London service, and assists independent designers through the British Design Initiative. A well-regarded soft IP practitioner, Mark Owen specialises in the protection and use of technology and content, and frequently advises clients in the fashion sector.

Private Client
The private client team at Harbottle & Lewis continues to expand to cope with demand for its expertise in trusts and personal tax. The group is mostly involved in tax planning for high net worth clients, particularly entrepreneurs and businesspeople. The firm's traditional strength in media and entertainment work also provides the group with a steady stream of clients. Glen Atchison possesses "a great deal of insight into problems, always finding a solution to any issues we may have," say clients. He is described as "direct, extremely clever and efficient" by sources, who value his personal tax advice.

Media and Entertainment
This widely praised boutique covers all aspects of media work and fields "a remarkable group of dedicated lawyers who always have an answer."

Computer Games
With a number of major clients, including Activision, Atari and Sega, the quality of the team's work in the computer games sector is unquestionable. Clients admire the "approachable, understanding and commercially astute" Seb Belcher and the "extremely strategic and intelligent" Mark Phillips. In addition to licensing, publishing and distribution agreements for its clients, the small group carries out high-level finance for Take Two and Sci/Eidos, while in November 2007 the team advised Rockstar Games on its successful appeal over the controversial video game 'Manhunt 2'.

Corporate
The firm's corporate/M&A practice is closely linked to the TV and broadcasting sectors: the team has been involved in the sale of Objective Productions to All3Media, and advised DCD Media on its acquisition of Prospect Pictures, September Holdings and West Park Pictures.

Broadcasting
Tony Ballard's knowledge of both network technologies and the regulatory environment is particularly useful: "He knows the industry inside-out," commented one client, "and nothing gets past him." He advised 2waytraffic on the implementation of the Gambling Act 2005 and its effect on call TV programming.

Film & TV Finance and Production
Offering "extensive experience in the TV production sector," Medwyn Jones heads a respected film and TV group with "a real understanding of owner-managed businesses and the commercial considerations that can drive a deal." The team acts for producers such as Shine, Picture Palace and Monkey Kingdom, as well as film producers including Scion Films and Infinity Pictures. The "extremely co-operative and flexible" Abigail Payne acted for EM Media on the financing of films such as 'Control' and 'This is England'. Bob Storer "quickly highlights any potential problems, and always has a solution." His vast experience lends its strength to the whole team's work, making him "an incredibly valuable asset." "Tough yet fair," Charles Goldberg is respected for his "diplomatic negotiation skills" and is seen as a rising star with a great deal of potential.

Music
The team's music group is highly regarded for its "speed, accuracy and depth of advice" and is led by the "intelligent and practical" Paul Jones, "a very strong entertainment lawyer who can work a problem through from start to finish." His team advises a range of clients including, Jamie Cullum, Polydor Records and Ogilvy & Mather. Formerly with Denton Hall, Lawrence Abramson is an accomplished music litigator who has worked on some of the industry's major cases.

Publishing
The 13-strong publishing team draws compliments for its knowledge of IP matters, as well as traditional and digital publishing. Caroline Turner is well known as an IP and commercial lawyer, handling commercial deals, licensing and merchandising agreements. As new media and the Internet have become increasingly important to the publishing market, so the team has been increasingly advising on digital content licensing and audio book agreements.

Theatre
The firm's theatre practice, meanwhile, has been working on a number of West End shows, including 'Hairspray' and 'Gone With The Wind'. It also advised the runners-up, finalists and winners of BBC's talent show 'I'd Do Anything.' "There is always someone there to handle an issue for you," and often that person will be the "simply fantastic" Neil Adleman. He "takes a personal interest in all that you do," stated one source, "and brings a wealth of knowledge to the table."

Real Estate
"Superb, practical, proactive advice" is the hallmark of Harbottle & Lewis. The firm has a fantastic media practice and deep industry knowledge of the arts and entertainment field, and so a lot of its real estate work relates to this sector. The team advised The Freedom of Speech Foundation on the purchase and leaseback of 60 Farringdon Road. It also boasts a strong development practice, which assisted London Interspace HM with the development of a listed building as a luxury residence. Robert Reilly "is easy to deal with and works hard to achieve the best result," admire sources. He heads the property group handling capital projects, developments and commercial property matters for developers, investors and occupiers. Associate Melanie Benson is highly commended for her "attentive and reliable counsel - it's as if our file is always on top of her desk," say clients.

Sports
Harbottle & Lewis' sports team has had to cope with the loss of Dalton Odendaal to an in-house position at LOCOG, but with Bob Mitchell spearheading the team there is little doubt that it remains a significant force in the market. His practical approach and "down-to-earth frankness" prove highly popular with clients: "He is always very mindful of commercial issues when dispensing legal advice," commented one source. Recent highlights include advising LOCOG on part of its licensing programme and advising the PGA European Tour on issues relating to its end of season tournament, the Dubai World Championship.

Telecommunications
Tony Ballard of Harbottle & Lewis LLP is a regulatory expert in digital media and broadcasting, spectrum management and copyright. "A key piece of the telecoms puzzle," he has focused on broadband developments of late, leading the advice to BT on its local loops to enable competitive provision of mass broadband access and on the emerging opportunities in new digital platforms.