I worked as lead lawyer for: (i) IMG’s Football Group; (ii) Sport24 (in-flight/in-ship channel); and (iii) Action Sports (including IMG’s action sport OTT channel “Edge Sports”). The role involved:- Working closely with the business in relation to rights acquisitions and management of client relationships with rights-holders such as IOC, FIFA, UEFA, Premier League, The FA, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, NBA, NFL, NHL, ATP, All England Tennis and World Rugby. - Managing and negotiating the sales process and production agreements for IMG Football Group’s media portfolio. Included drafting media rights agreement with broadcasters on a worldwide basis. - Negotiating carriage agreements for Sport24 with technology providers, airlines and cruise lines. Sport24 is the industry leading in-flight/in-ship channel and carries an array of premium sporting rights.- Advising on international OTT carriage agreements in relation to “EdgeSports” action sports channel.- Working with commercial colleagues on a number of business development opportunities. - Handling of multi jurisdiction litigation including a successful claim against TUI Cruise Lines in relation to FIFA World Cup 2018 in-ship rights.

My role involved advising on the sale and distribution of Sony Pictures Entertainment content (both television and film) to broadcasters and online providers throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Clients included Sky, Netflix, Google, Vodafone and O2/Telefonica. The media rights I dealt with included pay, basic and free television, PPV, EST/ODRL, VOD (free, subscription and advertiser funded) internet and mobile. I also advised on sale and tender processes, content protection and windowing of content (i.e. shortening of theatrical window and early release of VOD). The role required me to work closely with the sale team to negotiate multiple high value media rights agreements in a pressured environment.

Through my company, LT Talent Limited, I collaborated with individuals and companies providing advice on sports, media and image rights. I closed LT Talent on moving to Endeavor due to conflict of interest. I worked on the following projects:- Advising Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s (BVB Dortmund, Man Utd, Arsenal, Roma) management team on commercial endorsement deals. This includes sourcing a US footwear brand for a potential boot deal and connecting his management team with other potential sponsors. - Assisting an individual in connection with the acquisition of a UK basketball team and connecting that individual with industry contacts. - Advising a US based company in relation to pairing talent with brands whereby talent is hired to publicise a brand prior to the brand’s public listing. - Working with a company that offers professional footballers a “Plan B” once their playing career ends, whether due to retirement or release from academies. The company works with both Premier League football clubs and players directly.

SPORTFIVE is one of the world's largest sports agencies. Clients range from Premier League football clubs to international sporting bodies to multi national corporations. I worked in a legal department with lawyers from various European jurisdictions advising Sportfive and various other Lagardère Group offices. Working in a busy, multi national and multi lingual office, my role involved:- Organising the tender process for and negotiating and drafting complex media rights sales agreements to the 2014 Winter Olympic Games and 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Travelling to Sochi for the Winter Olympic Games to manage all legal issues that arose during the competition.- Negotiating and drafting complex media rights acquisition and sales agreements in relation to major sporting events such as FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championships, La Liga, Scottish Premier League, Serie A, Portuguese League and dealing with various sporting bodies such as FIBA, FIA, FIM, FIG etc.- Advising on sponsorship agreements including: naming rights of stadia; shirt sponsorship; event sponsorship; placing talent with brands; fixed media (static and digital boards).- Advising on the commercial exploitation of image rights. Drafting and negotiating talent and brand agreements for commercial advertising campaigns. - Providing the legal framework for the organisation of various international football friendly fixtures and training camps for international football teams. - Advising on and managing the corporate legal requirements of group companies.

I was a solicitor in the Legal and Business Affairs department of Europe’s largest TV production and distribution company. I assisted on a wide variety of TV productions, including X Factor, The Apprentice and Britain’s Got Talent. Experience included:- Assisting with the negotiation and drafting of network deals, including ITV’s recommissioning of X Factor.- Conducting negotiations with agents in relation to talent and drafting talent agreement, an example being the signing of David Hasselhoff as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent. - Drafting of actor, writer, co-producer, presenter, and contributor agreements for scripted, non-scripted and reality genres. Required detailed knowledge of intellectual property rights, methods of exploitation and distribution, trade union and industry standard requirement (both US and UK).- Advising talent and producers on brand protection and protection of image rights.- Advising production teams in relation to all aspects of television production, from creation to exploitation.- Providing commercial and legal advice to talkbackTHAMES’ digital team in a relation to the roll out of mobile app campaigns for television shows such as X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent.- Acting as lead lawyer in successfully defending a claim for negligence, breach of an implied contract and breach of duty of care in relation to Britain’s Got Talent.

I qualified into Reed Smith’s corporate group with a particular focus on media, entertainment, sport and technology. My experience included time in Reed Smith's number one ranked Media and Entertainment Group, Corporate and Corporate Finance (Abu Dhabi).Highlights included advising major US Studios/Networks, all major UK broadcasters, social media platforms and acting on the sale of a Premier League Football Club.