Harbottle & Lewis promotes Harry Bresslaw, Ed Lane and Alasdair Wilson to the partnership

Harbottle & Lewis promotes Harry Bresslaw, Ed Lane and Alasdair Wilson to the partnership

Harbottle & Lewis has announced three partner promotions today in line with its commitment to continued growth in the media and creative industries and private wealth sector, and to the expansion of its corporate practice. Harry Bresslaw, Ed Lane and Alasdair Wilson will each join the partnership with effect from 1 April 2025.

Harry is an entertainment lawyer with a focus on the theatre, film and TV industries. He advises producers, creatives, investors and venues across the theatre industry on matters including commissioning, development, production, financing, national and international transfers, licensing, digital captures and other associated sector arrangements. He works with clients both in the UK and beyond, ranging from established West End and Broadway producers to new and emerging producers, on all aspects relating to the creation and exploitation of plays, musicals and other live stage projects. He also provides legal and strategic advice to major film and TV production companies and SVOD platforms, and acts for a number of high-profile individual rights-holders on the protection and exploitation of their IP rights and assets.

Ed advises founders, businesses and investors on a broad range of corporate, corporate finance and commercial matters. He has a particular expertise in the creative industries, including film and TV, video games and music, and in the broader media, entertainment and technology sectors. His practice spans mergers and acquisitions, fundraises from pre-seed to series A and beyond, startups, growth equity investments, music catalogue sales, public takeovers, joint ventures, management incentive arrangements, including EMI options, and SEIS/EIS investments. He is actively involved as a speaker and mentor for a number of different industry accelerators and trade bodies, including IndieLab, BAFTA and UKIE.

Alasdair advises individuals, families and fiduciaries based in the UK and overseas in relation to all matters of international taxation, wealth structuring, global compliance and cross-border estate planning. This includes tax and legal advice to wealth generators or custodians who are moving between countries, seeking to maintain tax efficiency across multiple jurisdictions or passing ownership or control to the next generation. Alasdair has significant experience in advising US-UK clients, individual entrepreneurs and family businesses. He also has a particular interest in clients connected to civil law jurisdictions, in particular France, Belgium and Switzerland, as well as to Latin America and the Middle East.

Senior partner Catherine Bedford commented:

“We are thrilled to be welcoming three outstanding lawyers to the partnership. Harry, Ed and Alasdair have continually demonstrated exceptional legal skills, dedication to client care and a drive to bring success to our business. Their promotions will strengthen our offering to individuals, families and companies and will enhance our expertise in key areas including the entertainment and media and private wealth sectors. We look forward to seeing them build on their accomplishments and continue their development as partners.”

For more information, please contact Alex Molyneux, Communications & Marketing Manager: (alex.molyneux@harbottle.com)

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Harry Bresslaw Partner

Harry is an experienced entertainment lawyer with a focus on matters relating to the theatre and film and television industries.

Harry is an experienced entertainment lawyer with a focus on matters relating to the theatre and film and television industries.

He advises producers, creatives, investors and venues across the theatre industry on matters including commissioning, development, production, financing, national and international transfers, licensing, digital captures and other associated sector arrangements. He works with clients of all sizes, ranging from established West End and Broadway producers to alumni of Stage One producing workshops, on all aspects relating to the creation and exploitation of plays, musicals and other live stage projects.

Harry provides legal and strategic advice to clients operating across the wider media and entertainment industries both in the UK and internationally, including major film and television production companies and SVOD platforms. He also acts for a number of high-profile individual rights-holders on the protection and exploitation of their intellectual property rights and assets.

Harry is recognised as a ‘Star Associate’ by Chambers and Partners and a ‘Leading Associate’ by The Legal 500 for his work in the theatre industry. Outside of the office, he acts as a trustee for touring theatre company The Handlebards.

Ed Lane Partner

Ed advises founders, businesses and investors on a broad range of corporate, corporate finance and commercial matters.

Ed advises founders, businesses and investors on a broad range of corporate, corporate finance and commercial matters.

He has a particular interest and expertise in the creative industries, including film and TV, video games and music, and in the broader media, entertainment and technology sectors.

His practice spans mergers and acquisitions, fundraises from pre-seed to series A and beyond, startups, growth equity investments, public takeovers, joint ventures, management incentive arrangements, including EMI options, and SEIS/EIS investments. He is actively involved as a speaker and mentor for a number of different industry accelerators and trade bodies, including Indielab, BAFTA and UKIE.

Ed trained and qualified at Linklaters, where he spent five and a half years in the private equity M&A team acting for a variety of private equity houses and businesses on leveraged and non-leveraged buy-outs, growth equity investments, exits, management incentive arrangements and bolt-on acquisitions.

Ed is ranked as a key lawyer in The Legal 500 UK guide, and is noted for his “sector expertise”, “encyclopaedic memory” and his willingness to “go the extra mile to get the best deal.”

Alasdair Wilson Partner

Alasdair advises individuals, families and fiduciaries based in the UK and overseas in relation to all matters of international taxation, wealth structuring, global compliance and cross-border estate planning.

Alasdair advises individuals, families and fiduciaries based in the UK and overseas in relation to all matters of international taxation, wealth structuring, global compliance and cross-border estate planning.

This includes tax and legal advice to wealth generators or custodians who are moving between countries, seeking to maintain tax efficiency across multiple jurisdictions or passing ownership or control to the next generation.

Alasdair has significant experience in advising US-UK clients, individual entrepreneurs and family businesses. He also has a particular interest in clients connected to civil law jurisdictions, in particular France, Belgium and Switzerland, as well as to Latin America and the Middle East.

Alasdair speaks English, French, Spanish and German and holds law degrees obtained in England and in France (Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne).

Alasdair is a full member of STEP and was named a "Rising Star" in The Legal 500 2024. He previously spent nine months on secondment to a multi-family office headquartered in London.

Catherine Bedford Senior Partner

Widely regarded as one of the UK’s most revered family lawyers, Catherine leads the family practice and is the firm's senior partner.

Widely regarded as one of the UK’s most revered family lawyers, Catherine leads the family practice and is the firm's senior partner.

Catherine has established her reputation at the pinnacle of family law. Her practice encompasses the full spectrum of family law in instances of relationship breakdown, and she advises on the highest profile, highest value and most complex cases in the family courts.

Her clients typically face significant public and media scrutiny; Catherine resolves their most personal issues with empathy, sensitivity, determination and discretion. She’s described as having an “incredibly impressive strategic approach” and “unparalleled” client care skills. In April 2024 she was elected as the firm’s first female senior partner.

Depending on each client’s needs, Catherine’s approach is tailor made; whether that be successful negotiating outside of the court process or tough litigating within it. Her work frequently involves high net worth individuals, ranging from successful CEOs and investment bankers, to sports stars and entertainers. Catherine specialises in complex financial matters, frequently advising her clients with regard to assets and trust structures, including locating hidden assets.

Catherine is also highly experienced in all private law children matters including residence and contact, leave to remove children from the jurisdiction (both achieving and preventing), specific issue applications and prohibited steps orders.

Catherine is particularly concerned with mental health issues for children and adolescents; she has for some time been involved with the Anna Freud Centre and is a trustee. She is also a trustee of the National Gallery Foundation Trust.