Tessa Laws, Partner at Acuity Law

Creative Industries

Tessa Laws

Lead Partner
Overview
Work
Team

We provide legal and business affairs advice to a wide variety of creative businesses. We understand the unique needs of each specific part of the creative industries from corporate structure requirements; standard commercial and rights contracts; IP and brand licensing/protection; employment law sensitivities in a freelance world and property matters from leases to premises acquisitions.

We work collaboratively with a broad section of clients within the creative industries to create business focused solutions including TV and Film producers and financiers; app creators; fashion designers; brand owners; digital content creators; digital and advertising agencies and PR companies.

We advise on all aspects of matters affecting the creative industries, including:

  • Funding and investor relationships
  • Industry Standard Contracts including Rights Agreements
  • Defending and bringing legal action
  • Creating and protecting intellectual property in the UK and elsewhere
  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • Employment and option scheme arrangements
  • Distribution and exploitation of rights
  • Social media

We can support TV and Film producers in all genres – scripted and unscripted. We can support you as much or as little as you feel you need. We can provide template documents for you to implement or work with you to create the final document which meets all your specific needs.

We can provide advice relating to issues flowing from tendering for PSB contracts, including TUPE.

We can support you through all stages of TV and Film production.

  • Advising start-up, Bright Branch Media Limited, on third party financier funding deal and corporate structure, negotiated all relevant paperwork with funders.
  • Reviewing and negotiating variations to standard commissioning and international distribution agreements on behalf of Joio Limited for Bang 2 – a £2.5M six-part drama series for S4C including Welsh Government Funding
  • Advising a broadcaster on blanket music licensing arrangements with PRS for Music
  • Providing standard forms and negotiating variations to production pack documents for drama series including worldwide rights packages
  • Advising ie ie Productions Limited in clearing 30+ music and footage licences for a music documentary feature film for theatrical and international release
  • Advising high profile Bristol based producer on the terms of a co-production agreement with an international studio
  • Drafting and negotiating a variety of development, option and underlying rights agreements for a variety of production companies

DEVELOPMENT

  • Option Agreements
  • Development Agreements

PRODUCTION

  • SPV set up and Shareholders Agreements
  • Financier Loan Agreements and Security Agreements
  • Interparty/Multi-party financing Agreements
  • Co-production and Co-financing Agreements
  • Commissioning Agreements
  • Writer Agreements
  • Chain of Title
  • Production pack
  • Cast and Crew Agreements
  • HoD Agreements
  • Location Agreement
  • Photographer Agreement
  • Contributor Agreements
  • Release Forms
  • Composer Agreements
  • Stills Licence
  • Compliance checks
  • Ofcom
  • Completion Bond Agreements
  • Collection Account Management Agreements

EXPLOITATION

  • Sales Agency Agreements
  • Distribution Agreements
  • Acquisition Agreements
  • Merchandising Agreements

Tessa Laws

Lead Partner
[email protected]
+44 (0) 7767 882 759

Angharad Evans

Angharad Evans

Partner
[email protected]
+44 (0) 7772 494 555

Beverley Stevees

Cordelia Payne

Partner
[email protected]
+44 (0) 7773 336 902

Steve Berry

Partner
[email protected]
+44 (0) 7867 987 928

Accolades

  • The Media & Entertainment Team is ranked Tier 1 in the Legal 500.

Creative Industries Articles

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