Media Services

Film and TV

Our Film and TV group is recognised as the best in the industry with its unrivalled expertise, dynamic team and outstanding credentials.

The group operates in a truly unique and innovative way. As well as rights acquisition, contracts, insurance, copyright, and production work, our team regularly acts as executive producers, creating finance deals for clients including 20^th Century Fox and Paramount. This involves making the deals to acquire the rights, financing and producing the project and then distributing and exploiting it globally. Our team has a wealth of expertise in advising clients on structuring productions to identify and take advantage of financing incentives and subsidies.

Led by Charles Moore, Miles Ketley and David Quli, along with a group of highly experienced associates, our team advises on all aspects of film and TV: from the moment a project is conceived right through to its development, production and ultimate distribution.

As well as representing a range of producers, investors, distributors and mini majors, we are the only law firm in the UK and Europe to represent all six of the US studios in relation to their UK and European productions.

As a full service media law firm that works across sectors such as broadcasting and technology, our team is also uniquely placed to provide clients with insights and expert advice on the evolving digital media landscape and changing technology affecting the sector.

Our group also advise on the creation of a series of deals and agreements within the following areas:

• Development: option/purchase of screenplays, literary material and life story rights; commissioning writers; securing development financing
• Financing: co-production arrangements; equity investments; bank gap-financing, discounting and security, bridging the gap between European and US production, finance and distribution.
• Production: producer, director, cast and crew arrangements; visual and special effects; production and post-production facilities; location arrangements and music licences; sale and leaseback re-financing; completion bond arrangements
• Distribution: distribution/sales agency terms; film and programme sales and acquisition; format rights sales and acquisition
• Talent: actor, director, writer, producer and individual talent deals; term deals; first look arrangements

We enjoy a unique position in the media law sector. We strive to apply our knowledge and experience to benefit those individuals and organisations who are often in the early days of start-up or who are unable to fully invest in legal counsel.  These activities include representing emerging filmmakers on a purely contingent basis and contributing to the media industry by advising BAFTA, the British Independent Film Awards, the Raindance Festival and the International Screenwriters Festival on a pro bono basis.