Zoey Forbes, Clare McGarry, and Sam Purkiss have been named as Rising Stars, an accolade which recognises the best up-and-coming intellectual property practitioners in private practice who have contributed to the success of their firms and clients.
IP Stars, part of the Managing IP media group, is a specialist guide covering legal practitioners who deal with contentious and non-contentious intellectual property issues. Its rankings assess and rank law firms and practitioners globally in a range of IP practice areas.
Click here to view the full list of practitioners on the IP Stars website.
Her areas of specialism include book publishing agreements, audio and podcasting agreements, copyright analysis and advice including chain-of-title research, and rights acquisition and exploitation including book-to-screen and book-to-stage deals.
Before qualifying as a lawyer, Zoey studied English Language & Literature at the University of Oxford, obtaining a first class degree, and worked in an number of bookshops, including Waterstones, Harrods’ bookstore and Heywood Hill. Zoey is a member of The British Literary and Artistic Copyright Association and the Copyright Committee of the Association of Learned & Professional Society Publishers.
Clare advises on a broad range of commercial and IP matters across the film, TV and theatre industries, including the development, production, financing and distribution of film, TV and theatre projects and the acquisition, protection and exploitation of rights/IP and content.
Clare works with clients of all sizes and types within the film, TV and theatre sectors, from individual producers, talent and small independent production companies, to major SVODs, high profile production companies, studios, and content financiers. Clare also specialises in advising rightsholders who wish to protect and exploit their IP and rights. Clare works across all genres of film and television, including scripted, unscripted and animation, as well as newer areas such as digital exploitation, branded content and the convergence between traditional TV and content creators.
Clare is described in listed as a ‘Key Lawyer’ and described as ‘a key contact for independent producers and rights holders’ and ‘a pleasure to work with. Fantastic attention to detail and very responsive to client requests. Runs matters efficiently and inspires confidence in her clients’. Clare has also been ranked as a ‘Rising Star’.
Clare presents at numerous industry events, including BAFTA Elevate and Indielab and regularly runs legal sessions for Pact members.
He has experience across a range of sports with a focus on cricket, motorsport and football, advising on team, player and participant issues, commercial rights and brand management.
He has particular expertise advising on complex and high value sponsorship and endorsement contracts, acting regularly for both rights holders and sponsors, and is a Board Director of the European Sponsorship Association.
He also advises clients within the publishing industry and other creative industries in relation to the exploitation of intellectual property, including authors, publishers, media and technology platforms, brand owners and licensees.
Sam is recognised as a 'Star Associate' for sport in Chambers and Partners and as a 'Leading Associate' in The Legal 500. Clients praise his 'expertise and experience, and his ability to explain everything in plain English.'
Away from the office, Sam is a football referee within the professional game, operating in the EFL.