Sarah is a Partner in the firm's Film & Television Group, specialising in development, production, financing and distribution work for major Hollywood movies, independent UK feature films and scripted and non-scripted television productions. Her recent film work incudes Universal’s Jurassic World Dominion, the first film to resume shooting in the UK following the outbreak of Covid-19, as well as Disney’s live action The Little Mermaid, Cats for Working Title and the Netflix film Rebecca starring Lily James and Armie Hammer. Sarah's recent TV credits include production work on the NBCU series Masters of None and advice on the HBO and Plan B series The Third Day starring Jude Law, as well as non-scripted Amazon show I Bought the Farm. Sarah also advises Jax Media, makers of Russian Doll, on all their UK developments. Sarah’s work for indies has included acting for Complete Fiction, Working Title, Neal Street and Big Talk As well as producers, Sarah frequently advises rights holders on their deals with production companies for film and television projects. This includes work for Michaela Coel, the real life Mangrove 9, Rebellion (owners of Judge Dredd and other titles), DC Thomson (owners of the Beano brand) and Middle Temple, which was a major location in the Netflix series Jack Ryan. Sarah also has extensive expertise in theatre and live events and has assisted on production legal aspects of various West End theatrical productions, including Wicked and War Horse.
England - London • TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
Harbottle & Lewis LLP
Under the leadership of Sarah Lazarides, Harbottle & Lewis LLP guides global giants such as Apple and Netflix through high-profile productions, with advice ranging from financing and production to distribution and exploitation. The team also undertakes varied work for UK indies, such as Box to Box Films, acting with equal measure on scripted and unscripted productions, as well as well-known celebrities and rightsholders. Other recommended individuals include Jonathan Berger and Abigail Payne, renowned for their expertise in digital content and structuring international co-productions, respectively. Local language production specialist Hannah Wylie joined in December 2022.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Diligent and able to understand client timelines. They care about honouring business practices and preferences.’
‘Sarah Lazarides is sophisticated, reliable and provides clear guidance. She is well versed in the entertainment space when it comes to all matters involving film and television.’
Key clients
- Box to Box Films
- Working Title Films
- Lime Pictures
- Complete Fiction Pictures
- Apple
- The Earthshot Prize
- Storror Parkour Limited
- Magic Light
- Rebellion Entertainment Limited
- Netflix Studios
Work highlights
- Advice to Box to Box Films on clearance, production and rights issues across their high-end documentary productions broadcasted on HBO, Netflix and Apple TV, among others.
- Advised Working Title Films on matters relating to the development and production of their films, including the feature film “Ticket to Paradise”, starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts.
- Advised Lime Pictures on the arrangements for a children’s programme it was making for Netflix, which involved drafting an animation services agreement and handling protracted and contentious contract negotiations with the animation services supplier.
Lawyers
Next Generation Partners
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Sarah Lazarides