Our international Media Group provides a full range of legal services to clients in this sector. We draw on the strength of leading lawyers from our media, e-commerce, communications, IT, IP, music & entertainment and sports practices to provide a full range of domestic and cross border corporate, commercial and regulatory advice.
The depth of our knowledge of this industry combined with our international reach enables us to provide cutting edge, commercially focused advice to clients working in this sector. Our expertise in communications, e-commerce and media gives us a particular strength in advising on all aspects of digital media.
We have considerable expertise in advising on regulatory matters in all aspects of media, but in particular in communications and/or broadcasting rules and regulations, both local and EU.
In each of our offices we have relationships with the relevant local regulators and government departments and our teams are all experienced in advising on the full range of broadcast and communications regulation.
Our media sector clients include broadcasters (terrestrial, cable, satellite, video on demand, web casting and radio), digital platform operators, broadcast technology suppliers, rights owners, agents, distributors, film and television producers, the music and entertainment business sector, advertisers and publishers. In addition we act for financial institutions and other investors, including private equity houses, in their investments into media related businesses.
Examples of our regulatory work include:
- Broadcasting media ownership rules, local and EU
- Broadcasting, sponsorship and advertising codes of practice and guidelines
- Licence applications and regulatory clearances
- Access control, conditional access and EPG regulation
- Dealings with the regulators
- Local and EU competition law
- Corporate deal structuring in light of ownership restrictions
- Listed or protected sporting events
- Newspaper ownership rules
- Advertising standards