We advise clients on the full scope of film and TV production, from the initial script or format to screen and beyond. We cover development, financing, production and distribution matters, and take a production counsel role on productions of all sizes. We work across all types of film and TV projects including theatrical films, scripted and unscripted TV, and across all genres including live action, entertainment, documentaries and animation.
We have decades of experience in negotiating with talent agents, sales agents, broadcasters, financiers, distributors and other licensors. We act for major US studios and streamers, as well as independent production companies and producers, on both UK and multinational projects. We also act for start-up and early stage indies and can tailor our services and fees accordingly.
In addition, we advise high profile talent (including actors, writers, directors, content creators and individual producers) in negotiating deals for their involvement in a variety of projects. We also act for publishers, authors and other rights holders, providing commercial as well as legal advice in helping them to exploit film and TV rights in a given property. We have extensive experience with helping content creators and influencers on all aspects of their work.
With a wealth of clients in media and entertainment, advising the film and TV industry has been central to the firm since its foundation. We continue to be regularly involved in some of the most innovative and genre-defying deals, with our clients working at the highest levels in the UK, US and internationally. We go beyond pure legal advice and also offer practical business affairs advice (including guidance on the terms of commercial deals) to our film and TV clients.
During development we help producers to investigate and secure the rights needed to successfully produce their project and are adept at handling complex chain of title issues as well as straight screenplay commissions and rights options. As part of our production counsel role, we advise on the full scope of legal agreements, including cast, heads of department and crew, locations, suppliers, VFX and post-production, clearances and production services arrangements.
Given our additional expertise in music, interactive entertainment, technology and corporate matters, we are uniquely placed to advise clients on converting their film properties into a franchise, and for independent writers and directors to tell their story via the right medium. As front runners in this field we also have dedicated specialists who can advise on the process of financing, providing prompt, commercial and pragmatic advice.
Our talented team of employment lawyers also advise companies who hire in crew and talent, for specific projects or productions, on a full range of contentious and non-contentious employment law matters.
Notable matters
We have a longstanding history of working with Amazon Studios across a range of projects. Recently, we have acted as production counsel on “Killer Heat”, “Citadel” and “My Lady Jane”. We also advice Amazon on development aspects across its UK slate.
We act as trusted advisors to Apple Studios across its full slate of UK-based projects. We served as production counsel on “Masters of the Air”, Blitz”, “Silo”, “Disclaimer” and others.
We continue to advise Working Title on a range of productions. Recently we provided production legal services on the new Bridget Jones film and Netflix series ‘Too Much’, demonstrating our ability to act for UK indies on large scale projects in collaboration with major studios and streaming platforms.
We continue to act as trusted advisors to Complete Fiction on all aspects of the projects in their development slate. This involves legal and business affairs support, as well as strategic advice on seeing the projects through to commission, with Netflix, Sky and other broadcasters.
We advised the production company making “In The Shadows” (directed by Anthony Wonke) on the complex financing agreements required for the production of this feature film. We also advised on all production agreements.
We advise Box to Box Films (the producers of Formula 1: Drive to Survive, Full Swing and Six Nations: Full Contact) on production, clearance and rights issues arising across their slate of documentary productions.
We have acted for Romesh Ranganathan’s production company over its entire scripted and unscripted slate. This work has included commercial and corporate support on funding, commissioning, development and rights deals, as well as unique rights and clearance issues
We provided commercial advice to Jolly Octopus on their new partnership deal with BBC Studios. Jolly Octopus is a new production company founded by Emmy and BAFTA winners Ollie Brack and James Longman.
We advised Neal Street Productions on all the financing and production agreements required for the production of The Magic Faraway Tree. We also act on other matters for both Neal Street and its company director Sam Mendes.
We acted for Black Label Media on the set up of its UK production arm and on the financing and production elements for its film, Die, My Love and also advised on its commissioning structure in order to maximise the UK tax credit claim.
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