Our History

1950s

• Laurence Harbottle and Brian Lewis established a law practice together in December 1955 in South Molton Street, London.
  
• Some of the earliest clients of the firm were in the Theatre and Film industries, including Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, Dirk Bogarde, Michael Powell and Anthony Quayle, as well as Film Finances and the James Bond films. They marked the beginning of the firm’s development of an impressive client roster.
  
• The firm’s work for subsidised theatre companies led to instructions from the Charity Commission, and thus to the establishment of our Charities Group.

1960s

• The growth of the television and broadcasting sector in the 1960s meant that the work of the firm naturally extended into this sector. Clients have included Sir David Frost and John Cleese.
  
• As client demand continued to grow, so did the firm’s expertise in areas such as Property, Tax and Litigation, which finally led to the formation of designated practice groups in those areas.

1970s

• The 1970s saw the formation of the Music Group, representing Sir Richard Branson from the very beginning of his career with Virgin Records, and bands such as Dire Straits, Eurhythmics, Queen and The Clash.

1980s

• The firm had been providing publishing advice for clients such as the National Trust and the National Federation of Women’s Institutes since the 60s, but the 1980s saw the official formation of the Publishing Group. It has since worked for esteemed publishing companies such as Penguin and cult authors such as Ben Schott (Schott’s Original Miscellany) and Lauren Child (the Charlie and Lola series).
  
• The Aviation Group took flight in 1985 advising on the inception of Virgin Atlantic Airways. The firm also played a major part in Virgin’s defence during BA’s infamous ‘dirty tricks’ campaign, and has more recently expanded into the exciting realm of space aviation.
  
• The firm established its Employment Practice which advises both companies and individuals and has acted in high profile cases such as Gillian Switalski’s groundbreaking discrimination claim.
  
• The increasing popularity of video games in the 1980s led the firm to launch a Video Games Group and quickly gain a reputation as the leading UK law firm in this area. Clients have included some of the biggest names in the industry such as Activision, Atari, Electronic Arts and Sega. Now the Interactive Entertainment Group, clients have come to include games publishers, developers, mobile games specialists, format owners, distributors, licensors, trade and consumer magazines, financiers and investors as well as leading industry figures.

1990s

• Technological advances have inevitably shaped the firm, with media and entertainment growing to encompass the internet and e-commerce.
  
• The first Sports lawyer joined the firm launching a Group which now has six dedicated lawyers representing sports rights owners, sponsors, teams and sports personalities. Clients have included The PGA European Tour, Chelsea FC and the England Cricket Team.
  
• Due to the large number of well known brands among the firm’s clients, it was a natural step to work with agencies and individuals operating in the Advertising industry. The firm now provides a 360° service, advising on digital, broadcast and print advertising as well as sponsorship and licensing issues.
  
• As the exploitation and protection of rights became increasingly important to those in the media and entertainment industries the firm developed its expertise in Intellectual Property. Now, the dedicated Intellectual Property Group is one of few to cover the entire spectrum of Intellectual Property Rights.

2000s

• The impressive Family Practice was established in 2005 in response to client demand. Due to the firm’s long history of representing well known individuals and dealing with the surrounding issues of privacy, it quickly became recognised as an ideal choice for those in high profile positions.
  
• Due to the volume of clients in the fashion industry the firm also officially launched its Fashion Group in 2005. Clients in the industry include Gok Wan, Kate Moss and Ben Sherman.

Harbottle & Lewis provides representation for a wide variety of legal issues and matters (view all of our Industries and Services). The firm continues to be at the forefront of legal expertise in the creative industries and provides an industry-renowned service to its varied and ever-expanding client base, ranging from actors, celebrities, sports icons and rock stars to dot com entrepreneurs, company directors, financiers and airline executives.