Legal 500: Showbiz offers rich pickings
WHILE the economy has affected the region’s law firms those lawyers working in sport and showbusiness have been less exposed to the slump.
North West firms have had a hand in a range of showbiz-related deals including David Beckham’s temporary transfer to AC Milan and a successful libel claim against the Daily Star by Sven Goran Eriksson.
According to The Legal 500, lawyers in the region have acted for the former Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown, and the boxers Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe.
Here, TheBusinessDesk.com, assesses the media and entertainment and sports sectors in the latest of a series of articles on The Legal 500’s findings. The coverage also includes a list of the key players in the region.
Media and entertainment
Addleshaw Goddard assists national media companies such as ITV and Guardian Media Group, and was appointed to ITV’s reduced panel in 2008. Brabners Chaffe Street regularly handles high-profile libel claims, such as the successful libel claim for Sven Goran Eriksson against the Daily Star.
Halliwells has recently handled media work for Asda, including deals relating to celebrities used in its television adverts, and also assisted with book publishing agreements for World’s Fair.
Lea & Company has forged a “first-class” reputation for music work acting for recording artists, songwriters and record companies while Turner Parkinson has become “a very strong” name for media and entertainment advice.
Cobbetts continues to act as legal adviser to the 2009 Manchester International
Festival. It also advises electronic games and new media clients, and has experience in defamation work. Turner Parkinson has a “very strong name” for media and entertainment advice. Andrew Booth, pictured right, provides an “excellent and personal service”.
Sport
Brabners Chaffe Street has a wide-ranging practice across sports including cycling, swimming and football. Recent highlights include assisting with David Beckham’s temporary transfer to AC Milan from Major League Soccer and LA Galaxy.
Addleshaw Goddard has a “good reputation” for acting for football clients, and recently advised on six inter-related overseas broadcast agreements. The practice has a growing presence in rugby, having advised Super League and The Rugby Football League on deals with Sky and the BBC.
Boutique firm IPS Law “provides a first-class service” and has a team of lawyers who are “complete experts in sports law” while George Davies Solicitors acts for boxers Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe among others. The team continues to act for the Professional Footballers’ Association, and has acted in a number of high-value sports libel cases.
Hill Dickinson has an “impressive and varied” list of clients which include Liverpool FC, Robbie Fowler, Select Sports Limited and Rugby Scout. Recent highlights include representing Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez in a libel action against the News of the World.
DWF assists Arena & Convention Centre in Liverpool on matters such as contracts for the holding of high-profile sporting events. Davies Arnold Cooper assists a wide range of sports people, and also has a growing sports injury practice.
The Legal 500 considers the following to be the North West’s legal sector’s leading individuals
Manchester
Anthony Barnfather, Pannone, Crime
Roy Beckett, DLA Piper, Commercial property
Adrian Bever, Addleshaw Goddard, Health and safety
Tom Bridgford, Hammonds, Corporate and commercial
Liam Buckley, Hammonds, Commercial property
Andrew Chamberlain, Addleshaw Goddard, Employment
Craig Chaplin, Halliwells, TMT
Mary Clarke, DLA Piper, Employment
Michael Clavell-Bate, Eversheds, Commercial litigation
Darryl Cooke, Hill Dickinson, Corporate and commercial
Alec Craig, Halliwells, Corporate and commercial
Nigel Dale, Eversheds, Banking and finance
Paul Devitt, Addleshaw Goddard, Corporate and commercial
Jonathan Edwards, Hammonds, Banking and finance
Rob Fawke, Pannone, Banking and finance
Sean Fitzgerald, Cobbetts, Corporate and commercial
Tony Fitzmaurice, Brabners Chaffe Street, Commercial property
Stephen Goodman, Goodman Harvey, Commercial property
John Gosling, Addleshaw Goddard, Commercial litigation
Amanda Gray, Addleshaw Goddard, Banking and finance
Andrew Gregory DWF, Insolvency and corporate recovery
Rebecca Grisewood, Halliwells, Corporate and commercial
Daniel Hall, Eversheds, Corporate and commercial
Tim Hamilton, Addleshaw Goddard, Corporate and commercial
Tony Harper, Brabners Chaffe Street, Corporate and commercial
Andrew Harris, DLA Piper, Commercial litigation
Frances Harrison, Hempsons, Clinical negligence
Mark Hovell, George Davies Solicitors, Sport
Carol Jackson, Pannone, Personal injury
Ed Jenkins, Addleshaw Goddard, Corporate tax
Sue Jenkins, Beachcroft, Employment
Joanne Kinloch, Pinsent Masons, Banking and finance
Janet Knowles, Eversheds, TMT
Richard Lloyd, Eversheds, Planning and environment
Anthony Lyons, Kuit Steinart Levy, Licensing
Frank Patterson, McCool Patterson Hemsi & Co, Clinical negligence
Andrew Maskill, Addleshaw Goddard, Banking and finance
Jonathan Moakes, Halliwells, TMT
Susan Molloy, Halliwells, Banking and finance
Matthew Morgan, DLA Piper, Banking and finance
David Moss, Hammonds, Construction
Simon Moulden, Pannone, Corporate tax
Andrew Needham, DWF, Corporate and commercial
Michael O’Connor, Addleshaw Goddard, Projects and energy
Simon Pedley, Pannone, Commercial litigation
Chris Phillips, Keoghs, Personal injury
Edward Pysden, Eversheds, Corporate and commercial
Helen Ridge, Pinsent Masons, Corporate and commercial
Robert Roper, Cobbetts, Commercial litigation
Diarmuid Ryan, Hammonds, EU and competition
Claire Shepherd, Hammonds, Banking and finance
Geoffrey Shindler, Lane-Smith & Shindler, Personal tax, trusts and probate
Kit Sorrell, Pannone, Commercial litigation
Jim Tully, Addleshaw Goddard, Corporate and commercial
Jonathan Watkins, DLA Piper, Corporate and commercial
Maurice Watkins, Brabners Chaffe Street, TMT
Anita Weightman, DLA Piper, Commercial property
Simon Woolley, DLA Piper, Banking and finance
Andrew Wright, Cobbetts, Corporate and commercial
Liverpool
Carole Atkinson, Mace & Jones, Family
Mark Beardwood, DLA Piper, Commercial property
Michael Brabner, Brabners Chaffe Street, Corporate and commercial
Noel Fagan, Hill Dickinson, Commercial litigation
Mark Goodwin, DLA Piper, Commercial litigation
Glenys Hunt, Lees Lloyd Whitley, Personal injury
Pamela Jones, Hill Dickinson, Commercial property
Mark Manley, Brabners Chaffe Street, Commercial litigation
Mark O’Connor, O’Connors, Corporate and commercial
Andrew O’Mahony, Brabners Chaffe Street, Corporate and commercial
Jim Pinsent, DLA Piper, Construction
Mark Rathbone, Brabners Chaffe Street, Corporate and commercial
Frank Rogers, Lees Lloyd Whitley, Personal injury
Philip Rooney, DLA Piper, Commercial property
James Szerdy, DWF, Banking and finance
Denise Walker, Brabners Chaffe Street, Corporate and commercial
Richard Watson, Hill Dickinson, Personal injury
