To provide thought leadership on the interaction between computers and the media. This includes audio (radio), audio-visual (TV), magazines, newspapers, books, content aggregators, blogs, social media and other forms of UGC.
Responding to, and commenting on, law reform proposals.
Writing articles, blog posts etc.
Sponsoring and hosting events with leading speakers.
Identifying new legal issues for the sector.
Sharing knowledge on:
The law.
Market developments.
Business issues affecting the media sector.
Enhancing the SCL’s reputation and influence in the media sector; providing ‘added value’ to SCL members with an interest in this area; and helping to inform the SCL committee on key media developments. Areas of Interest
Convergence
Format shifting, eg E-Books, Apps, online TV, online content aggregators.
New delivery platforms.
Social media.
Media business models.
Broadcast
Communications Act: licensing; EPGs etc
Regulation of Online Content
Defamation, misuse of private information, contempt.
Regulatory content standards – Ofcom, ATVOD, BBC Trust. Injunctions.
Social media issues.
Jurisdiction
The application of UK law to online content.
The regulation of online content in other jurisdictions.
Enforceability of UK and foreign judgments affecting the media.
Group Chair
Alice Esuola-Grant
Senior Associate, Bristows
Alice is an Senior Associate in the commercial IP/IT team at Bristows. She specialises in commercial transactions relating to information technology and intellectual property.
She has advised clients on a broad range of commercial matters, including in relation to e-commerce, technology transactions, the development and exploitation of intellectual property and the provision of media services, with particular expertise in advising consumer-facing clients. In addition, Alice advises on consumer protection, advertising and marketing law compliance.
Alice has undertaken secondments to the in-house legal teams of a news and media group and a leading IT outsourcing company. Her experience has given her a good grounding to provide tailored and commercially-focussed legal advice which helps clients to achieve their strategic aims.
Shobaná Iyer
Barrister, Swan Chambers
Shobana is a practicing Commercial Barrister based in London. She has a full spectrum of expertise in the commercial law: corporate, employment issues, media and advertising, insurance litigation, IP & IT and internet law.
Group Committee
James Balfour
Senior Associate, Herbert Smith Freehills
James is a Senior Associate in the Media and Digital team at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, focusing primarily on media, entertainment and communications law and regulation of the digital landscape. James advises on a wide range of media and digital matters, including digital platforms and content, e-commerce, gambling and gaming, content creation, acquisition and distribution, sports rights and sponsorship deals and advertising and marketing arrangements (including influencer marketing). James is a co-author of the PLC notes “Overview of Broadcast Content Regulation” and “TV (Broadcasting and Internet) Industry Overview” and has spent time on secondment at Sky and Wayra (a start-up incubator in the telecoms sector).
Marlon Cohen
Legal Director, Addleshaw Goddard LLP
Marlon specialises in complex strategic work for clients in the media, retail and technology sectors. His wide-ranging practice covers all sides of the media, broadcasting and communications spectrum, acting for brands and content owners, global platforms, broadcasters and telecoms companies on a broad range of commercial and content-related matters. Specialising in complex commercial contracts and technology arrangements for clients, he often works for both suppliers and customers of services.
He regularly works on complex commercial work with a media focus including sponsorship and endorsement deals (including sponsorship tie-ups with Team GB and Paralympics GB for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics), marketing related agreements (such as creative agency, media buying, and talent agreements), digital content and production agreements, publishing deals, as well as more tech/digital focused deals (including gaming platform, digital multiplex, content distribution and transmission arrangements).
Alex Cole
Partner and Head of the Digital Media, Entertainment & Technology department, Russells
Alex is a Partner and Head of the Digital Media, Entertainment & Technology department at Russells. He is an entertainment lawyer with a particular focus on the convergence of technology and entertainment (particularly music, film, TV and publishing).
Benson Egwuonwu
Associate (Commercial Litigation), DAC Beachcroft
Benson is an associate in the Commercial Litigation team at DAC Beachcroft LLP. Benson acts in a variety of commercial disputes, including media, defamation, harassment, intellectual property and privacy. He has advised clients across a range of sectors including healthcare, technology and consumer goods. Benson has a particular interest in online content regulation and has advised on takedowns of unlawful content.
Julia Ostendorf
Associate, Herbert Smith Freehills
Julia is an Associate in the Technology, Media, Telecoms and Data team at Herbert Smith Freehills. Julia advises on a broad range of commercial and data privacy matters, including for clients in the technology, media and entertainment sectors. She has a particular interest in the video game industry and has advised clients on emerging technologies such as NFTs. Julia has spent several months on secondments to the in-house legal departments at Sky and Royal Mail.
Shayna-Radhika Patel
Associate, Harbottle & Lewis
Shayna is an associate in the Media and Entertainment group at Harbottle & Lewis. She has commercial/regulatory experience with particular expertise and interest in digital, advertising and data protection. She has advised clients from a variety of sectors including film and production, video games, advertising, fashion & luxury goods and travel & leisure, including some of the world’s best known brands, agencies, platforms and media companies.
Arron Kotecha – Group Secretary
Trainee, Browne Jacobson
Arron is a first-year trainee in the second seat of his training contract at Browne Jacobson within the Commercial, IP, Data and Technology team.
In the commercial team, Arron helps advise on; contentious, transactional, and advisory Intellectual Property, General Commercial Contracts across a variety of the firm’s core sectors, Data Protection and AI, Technology, and Digital matters. Arron also assists with defamation and reputation management matters, as well as advertising and marketing regulation.