Creative Industries
Hugh James offer industry-focused and cutting
edge legal support to the creative industries and new media
sector.
We advise both digital
businesses and traditional businesses in relation to expansion of
their core activities into the new media arena.
Lawyers for the creative
industries sector
Our team are familiar
with the diverse requirements of your business and the challenges
you may face in a diverse and fast-moving digital world.
Our clients are active
across a broad range of media from large to small, broadcasting to
software development, e-commerce and e-business, digital and hard
copy.
Please read about:
Our creative industries team offers a multi-national
and multi-disciplinary capability and comprises of specialist
lawyers from our Corporate, Commercial/IT, Defamation, Employment,
IP and Property teams who all work closely to provide a full
service to our clients.
Hugh James creative industries
services
Corporate
We have worked closely with many leading companies across a broad
range of digital, film, creative and media industries. We advise
them throughout the development, licensing and
operational cycle on many corporate needs including:
- Start-up and growth capital
sourcing and structuring
-
Strategic and commercial advice to new and
developing businesses
-
Corporate governance
-
Buy-outs and public offers
-
IPOs and pre-IPO preparation/restructuring
-
Joint ventures
-
LSE/AIM listing and continuing compliance
-
Mergers and acquisitions
-
Private equity financing
-
Regulatory issues
-
Secondary issues and capital
reorganisations
-
Shareholder agreements and incentive
packages
Please see our corporate services page for more
information.
Commercial
The creative industries team at Hugh James
includes specialist commercial advice from
leading lawyers in the fields of commercial contracts,
agreements and litigation. Many of our clients are at the
forefront of advances in the uses of technology and we assist them
in achieving their commercial objectives.
We understand that fast-growing companies have
fast-moving needs.
We have considerable experience of issues
relating to the design, development and acquisition and use of
creative technologies for applications such as post-production,
digital animation, digital delivery and download and cinematic
technology.
We assist companies who rely on the
technologies that underpin the rapid spread of broadband access,
both fixed and mobile, the new business opportunities that they
create and the effects of regulation, including the AVMS and
e-Commerce Directives.
The team offers regulation and contracts
advice on the following:
- Contracts and agreements
- Telecommunications
- Advertising and sponsorship
- Affinity deals
- E-business and e-commerce
- Defamation
- Data protection
- Digital licensing
IT disputes
Increasingly IT disputes are something which creative businesses
are having to deal with. The IT disputes specialists within
the creative industries team have a depth of experience to
handle any arising situation.
Intellectual property
Hugh James has a team of experts within the
field of intellectual property. We can offer assistance in all
areas of IP including:
- Patents
- Trademarks
- Copyright
- Digital media rights
Please see our commercial services page for more
information.
Commercial litigation
We advise a wide range of clients in the media and entertainment
industries on all matters relating to commercial
litigation. Hugh James are well respected for our work in this
area.
Our team are renowned for their expertise and experience in
dealing with sensitive high profile litigation, defamation and
privacy cases.
We are recognised for our expertise in handling press management
and media crises. We provide advice on the following:
- Commercial disputes, including licence distribution and agency
agreements for all media formats
- Strategic advice on intellectual property claims, breach of
copyright and design, trade mark infringement, patents, passing off
and breach of confidence
-
Alternate dispute resolution/mediation
-
Insolvency advice
-
Insurance claims
-
Judicial review proceedings
-
Management disputes
-
Music litigation
-
Pre-publication clearance
-
Privacy and defamation, as well as image
management advice to high profile individuals
-
Royalty claims
Please see our commercial litigation services page for more
information.
Commercial property
Within the
creative industries team we also have several experts who are able
to advice on all commercial property matters relating to the
creative industry sector.
We deliver
astute commercial property advice and services, taking care of the
details so that you can focus on creative and commercial
activities.
Our
services include:
- Acquisition and disposal of business premises
- Acquisition and disposal of investment property
- Commercial property development
- Landlord and tenant
- Lease renewals
- Residential conveyancing
- Tax, VAT and Stamp Duty Land Tax
- Tenant default
Please see our commercial property services page for more
information.
Employment
Employment law is a key area of expertise
within the Hugh James creative industries team. We can offer
help and advice on all aspects of employment law
including breach of contract disputes (including employment)
and HR consultancy and advice. They also provide custom and bespoke
training on a variety of subjects.
Please see our employment services page for more
information.
To read more about the Hugh James training
offering please visit our training pages.
Hugh James creative industries experience
The Creative Industries team has a depth of experience advising
investors, production companies, public relations companies
and multi-media companies.
Our experience includes advising:
- AIM listed independent television production group
Boomerang Plus plc on a range of projects
including:
- a joint investment with Bryn Terfel into classical music agency
Harlequin.
- the acquisition of Oxford Scientific Films, producers of global
hit series Meerkat Manor and Fatal Attractions.
- the acquisition of
Indus Films, producers of shows such
as Amazon
with Bruce Parry and Coal House
- a joint venture with
Channel 4 to host The Big Freeze, an
annual
snowboarding and music festival held at
Battersea
Power
Station
- the acquisition of
extreme sports magazine Method
- The sellers of TV company Presentable (producer of Late Night
Poker) on its £6 million disposal to AIM listed RDF Media
Group
- Welsh Rugby Union and Millennium Stadium Plc on various matters
including broadcasting agreements and events contracts
- Greenfield Media on various corporate and other matters
- the management team on the MBO of digital media group
Media4
- the shareholders of TV company Fflic on its sale to
Boomerang
- RBS on its funding of various transactions including the
acquisition by Freshwater of London PR Agency Attenborough
Saffron
- London PR agencies Kitcatt Nohr, Alexander Shaw and Trinity
Communications on various matters including joint
ventures
- On the sale of Core Systems, owner of leading UK property
website homesonview.co.uk, to the Guardian Media
Group
- Sgript Cymru on its merger with Sherman Cymru, a leading Welsh
theatre company
- On the £3.8m re-development of Chapter Arts Centre, one of
Europe's largest and most dynamic arts centre; and
- Elfen Graphic Design on various aspects of its
business