The Legal 500: Firms lead the way for sport, entertainment and IP
YORKSHIRE’S legal community has once again shown its strength in the media and entertainment, intellectual property and IT and sports sectors, according to The Legal 500.
Here, in the last of a series of articles on the legal industry’s legal bible TheBusinessDesk.com, in association with NatWest, assesses a selection of Yorkshire’s key players in the sectors as highlighted by the annual research on the legal sector.
Intellectual property and information technology
Addleshaw Goddard’s team is “first rate” for IT, while DLA Piper’s eight Yorkshire-based IT and IP partners act for clients including Barclays, Carphone Warehouse, Kodak, and JD Wetherspoon.
Brian Clayton heads Evershed’s trade mark and design filing practice, Pinsent Masons recently represented ICB in a passing off action brought against it by Diageo following ICB’s launch of its Vodkat Schnapps product, and the “highly regarded” Patrick Cantrill heads Walker Morris’ IP department, which includes a trade mark and design unit that wins work nationally.
Also recommended are Clarion, HGF Law, Hammonds, Irwin Mitchell, IP boutiques James Love Legal and Kempner & Partners, Lee & Priestley and Lupton Fawcett.
In the next tier are Rollits, Virtuoso Legal and Watson Burton.
Andrew Jackson, Berwins Solicitors, Brooke North, Gordons, Gosschalks, Keeble Hawson, Levi Solicitors and Wake Smith & Tofields are also praised.
Media and entertainment
In the top tier, Harrogate-based McCormicks’ Peter McCormick has an “excellent” reputation for contentious and non-contentious work across broadcasting, IP rights, and sponsorship, and for defamation complaints relating to print and broadcast media.
Addleshaw Goddard’s national practice advises clients such as ITV, Adidas and Gucci, and Leigh Martin heads the practice at Clarion, which represents a number of PR agencies.
Led by Matthew Howarth, Gordons’ media team advises individual and corporate clients on contentious matters including defamation claims.
Rollits LLP’s client base includes PR and marketing consultants, Last Cawthra Feather recruited associate solicitor Mike Hall from Russells in London, and Lupton Fawcett recruited Stephen Taylor-Heath, one-time in-house counsel at Sports Network, from Ford & Warren.
Sport
Addleshaw Goddard’s sports practice increasingly focuses on high-end work, including acting for The Football League and UEFA.
Peter McCormick at McCormicks is chairman of the Premier League Legal Advisory Group and regularly advises the board and Premier League football clubs and the firm is highly regarded in this area
Walker Morris’ renowned sports department is headed by Chris Caisley and also makes the top tier in this category.
Blacks Solicitors’ recently established sports law team is headed by Stephen Lownsbrough. The group acts for individual sportsmen and women, and sports industry workers.
Clarion’s sports practice advises the FA Premier League on IP disputes, while Richard Cramer leads Cohen Cramer’s sports practice, which recently recruited the highly experienced Clive Lawrence, formerly of Clarion, as a consultant.
DLA Piper represents a number of high-profile sports clients as part of its wider IP and technology group.
Ford & Warren is recommended for its “excellent knowledge of national issues and governing body challenges”; Irwin Mitchell ;is regularly instructed on complex legal issues by an impressive client list; and Langleys is recommended for its expertise in equine law, with Mark Roberts heading the group.
Last Cawthra Feather LLP recently advised Adidas on a number of contentious matters; Lupton Fawcett’s Stephen Taylor-Heath, one-time in-house counsel at Sports Network, heads the firm’s sports offering; and John Devine heads Watson Burton’s sports business group, which represents an impressive and varied client base.
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