People | Colin Howes

Colin heads the firm's Corporate and Commercial Practices. He is involved in providing specialist corporate finance and strategic advice primarily for clients in the media/entertainment, aviation and leisure industries. He has acted for a number of businesses from start-up to successful realisation. Whilst his corporate work in media and entertainment continues to cover a broad range of business areas, a recent focus has been independent TV production and distribution companies.

Colin is also a member of number of other groups in the firm. These include the Aviation Group (he has advised Virgin Atlantic since its formation); the Charities Group, whose clients include Comic Relief, the Virgin Foundation/Virgin Unite and the Kevin Spacey Foundation; and the Theatre Group (he was involved in developing the funding model now used by West End producers).

He is a trustee of Comic Relief and ONE20/Timebank and a non-executive director of theatre producer Pola Jones Associates.

Colin was articled at Harbottle & Lewis before qualifying in 1981 and becoming a Partner in 1984. He was Managing Partner of the firm for eight years to 31 July 2000. He is a member of the European Air Law Association and the Charity Law Association. He is listed as an expert in Aviation, Film, Film Finance, TV and Theatre in the current edition of Legal Experts.