United Kingdom - Scotland • TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
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Media and entertainment

Brodies LLP

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With firm chair and experienced KC Christine O’Neill at the helm, Brodies LLP‘s team in Edinburgh maintains an excellent defamation and reputation management offering, working with leading global broadcasters and content platforms on media disputes and injunctive proceedings. Senior associate Sarah McCormick further excels in this area, handling a mixture of defamation, privacy and contempt of court issues. Also praised in the contentious sphere is Niall McLean for his litigation and reputation management advice to individuals, corporations and public authorities. Martin Sloan anchors the firm’s equally strong commercial media practice, advising major Scottish publishers and global production studios on a range of contracts, IP and data matters.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Brodies will offer not just imaginative and enjoyable professional development opportunities, but also bespoke seminars for particular needs. It has unrivalled public law expertise and is always accessible.’

  • ‘Christine O’Neill KC is irreplaceably smart, thoroughly decent and the finest Scots public lawyer of her generation.'

  • ‘The team at Brodies are responsive and demonstrate a pragmatic, commercial mindset that recognises the challenges and constraints we have to work within as a business.’

  • ‘Martin Sloan is so approachable - whether it's to give an informal second opinion on something, or to support us with a challenging new project. He's my go-to external advisor on data protection matters and I know we can rely on him, and his wider team, to help when we're in need.’

  • ‘Niall McLean provided excellent advice and displayed expertise on each matter I was facing. He also displayed exceptional ethics and moral diligence through nuanced issues.'

  • 'Brodies went above and beyond in precarious public matters to ensure my best interests were served at all times, and displayed a great amount of consideration to the stressful circumstances.’

Key clients

  • Meta
  • BBC
  • DC Thomson
  • Edinburgh International Festival
  • Edinburgh International Book Festival
  • Hyper Luminal Games
  • Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society
  • National Theatre of Scotland
  • Marine and Lawn
  • Rewards4 Group

Work highlights

  • Retained by BBC Scotland to provide on call legal advice to Scotland journalists and current affairs staff.
  • Providing ongoing litigation advice to a global social media platform with a focus on commercial litigation, defamation and IP infringement proceedings.
  • Advised Mowi on matters relating to its sponsorship of Gordon Ramsay's new ITV show, Next Level Chef.

Lawyers

Leading associates
Rising stars with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Sarah McCormick
Brodies LLP
Sarah is a senior associate within our Litigation team. She has represented clients at all levels of the Scottish court system, including at the UK Supreme Court, and regularly represents clients in both arbitration and mediation proceedings. Sarah is one of only three lawyers in Scotland appointed to the Programme Legal Advice Panel for BBC Scotland and regularly provides pre broadcast advice (most often concerning defamation, privacy, and contempt of court) direct to journalists, producers, and editors at BBC Scotland. She also represents corporates, individuals and third sector clients in connection with social media issues and reputation management. Sarah also has extensive experience of all types of real estate disputes. She frequently advises a wide range of institutional landlords, developers, housebuilders and corporate tenants on dilapidations and lease enforcement, service charge disputes and termination, as well as contentious issues arising from both commercial and residential developments.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Martin Sloan
Brodies LLP
Martin is an experienced lawyer specialising in IP, Tech and Data. He combines technical knowledge with an interest in understanding his client's business to provide pragmatic advice and practical solutions.Martin's expertise includes technology procurement, IT outsourcing, business process outsourcing,  commercial contracts, intellectual property, data protection, ePrivacy and cyber risk. Martin regularly helps clients in relation to the legal and commercial risks relating to the development and use of new technology, such as cloud-based services, and projects involving AI, blockchain and big data. Martin works with clients across a range of sectors including financial services, media, food and drink, charities and the third sector, and the public sector. Martin also advises technology businesses and innovative tech start-ups, including fintech and adtech.
Christine O’Neill
Hall of fameBrodies LLP
Christine is Chair of Brodies LLP and a recognised expert on public and constitutional law issues in Scotland. She is an accredited mediator and a solicitor advocate. Her hallmark is developing strong client relationships and providing clear, practical advice. Christine was appointed as Queen's Counsel (now King's Counsel) in 2020.  Christine advises clients on legislation and statutory interpretation, the powers and duties of public bodies including the Scottish Parliament, and freedom of information laws and data protection. She acts for a range of commercial and public sector clients including the Scottish Government, BBC Scotland, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Gambling Commission and the Scottish Qualifications Authority. She is a member of Brodies' Charities & Third Sector Team, advising the Scottish Charity Regulator and a number of charities. She is also one of Brodies' team of litigators involved in group proceedings.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Christine O’Neill, Martin Sloan 

Other key lawyers

Niall McLean, Andy Nolan, Sarah McCormick

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