- Number of partners: 36
- Number of other UK fee-earners: 60
THE FIRM Harbottle & Lewis provides a wide range of legal services to companies and individuals, primarily within the technology, media and entertainment, advertising, sponsorship, retail, leisure, sport, property and travel industries. The firm is committed to delivering innovative solutions in the most practical and cost-effective way and has been at the centre of many of these industries’ largest and most high profile transactions and cases.
Harbottle & Lewis is large enough to handle virtually any transaction in its specialist industry areas and complementary practices, but it is also of a size that enables it to deliver focused and commercially relevant advice based on extensive in-depth industry knowledge.
Recent highlights include advising MAMA Group Plc on its £46m recommended takeover offer by HMV Plc; acting for IP exploitation company Joltid in its much publicised dispute with Skype/eBay concerning its licensed technology; advising Omnifone Limited on the launch of its cloud-based digital music service Music Unlimited in conjunction with Sony Corp; and representing Lucasfilm Ltd in its case against Shepperton Design Studios in relation to the 1977 Star Wars film; as well as defending LastMinute Network Limited, the company behind lastminute.com, from an unfair dismissal and breach of contract claim by the company’s vice president of Human Resources, EMEA.
Other recent work includes advising Barclays and nPower on their respective sponsorship deals with the two UK football leagues; advising EA Sports on becoming the first Official Sports Technology Partner of the Barclays Premier League; and advising various athletes and companies on sponsorship deals in relation to the 2012 Olympic Games.
The firm continues to advise on new and long-standing West End and international productions including We Will Rock You, Ghost the Musical and Billy Elliott; TV shows including Merlin and Sherlock; and on an increasing number of award winning films including Steven Spielberg’s War Horse. It also advised The Royal Household on broadcasting and other arrangements for the Royal Wedding, including the formation of a charitable fund.
PRINCIPAL AREAS OF WORK As a full-service law firm, Harbottle & Lewis provides advice on corporate, commercial, employment, financing, intellectual property, IT, litigation, property, regulatory and data protection issues and tax.
The firm offers specialist advice to clients in all areas of the communications and creative industries including advertising, broadcasting, digital media, fashion, film, interactive entertainment, live events, media finance, music, publishing, sponsorship, sport, television and theatre.
It also advises on the legal issues faced by organisations and individuals in the media spotlight such as reputation management and private wealth management. The other services provided to individuals include tax, trusts and probate, family, employment, high-value residential property, image rights, asset freezing, mediation and personal injury. It also advises individuals and organisations involved in charities and philanthropy.
CLIENTS Clients range from large corporates to entrepreneurs to successful individuals, based in the UK and overseas. They are often high profile, dynamic and market leaders in their own fields. Examples include Virgin Group, Sony Music, Universal Pictures, Universal Music Group, LucasFilm, Dreamworks, Prescience Film Finance, EA Sports,Take 2 Interactive, Rockstar Games, Lastminute Network Ltd, Emirates, Standard Chartered Bank, Barclays, Diageo, Zattika, PROFounders Capital, eBooks, Penguin, Chelsea FC, Orange, Ben Sherman, Wolford London, Comic Relief, nPower, MAMA Group, Raymond Gubbay, The Royal Household, Kate Moss, Sophie Dahl, Gok Wan, Jamie Cullum, David and Victoria Beckham, PGA European Tour and the England Cricket Team.