Our dedicated team of media and advertising lawyers are leaders in the field.

Our Media & Advertising specialists work with a variety of clients, from independent production companies and start-ups to national broadcasters and blue chip corporates.

Our expertise spans the core sub-sectors in the media space, including film and television, music, gaming, social-media, broadcasting and streaming, publishing, advertising and marketing as well as rights management and enforcement.

A very responsive firm which provides a full and prompt service. Exceptional quality of support staff, which makes more of a difference to clients than law firms necessarily realise.

- Legal 500 UK, 2024

Key Contacts

Burness 5 6 19 Colin Hulme 3834 2025Update

Colin Hulme

Partner | Board Member

Intellectual Property

colin.hulme@burnesspaull.com +44 (0)141 273 6705

Get in touch
Pauline McCulloch

Pauline McCulloch

Director

Dispute Resolution

pauline.mcculloch@burnesspaull.com +44 (0)141 273 6791

Get in touch
Rebecca Ablett

Rebecca Ablett

Senior Associate

Intellectual Property

rebecca.ablett@burnesspaull.com +44 (0)141 273 6884

Get in touch

Areas of Expertise

TV & Film

We support our TV & Film clients throughout the development, production and distribution lifecycle, including the complexities of intellectual property ownership, licensing and exploitation as well as funding, security and recoupment.

  • Option / shopping agreements
  • Funding arrangements
  • SPVs
  • Co-production agreements
  • Commissioning agreements
  • Treatment / script commissioning
  • Location / studio agreements
  • Talent / contributor agreements
  • Distribution agreements


Content Protection & Rights Management

Ideas create products, drive improvements, and deliver innovation. Successful protection and exploitation of your intellectual property is critical.

We have an award winning, dedicated, and experienced IP team, trusted to protect some of the country’s most well-known brands.  In recent years, we've handled over half of all IP court actions, highlighting our prominence in the field.

Broadcasting & Media Rights

We advise several of the UK’s broadcasting companies, including Sky, BBC and ITN, on broadcasting rights agreements, content protection and rights management.

Our commercial team advise rights-holders, including sports organisations, on the licensing of their broadcasting, media and data rights.

Advertising

From greenwashing to age restrictions, we understand the challenges businesses face in today’s ever-evolving regulatory landscape. We offer comprehensive legal advice and strategic solutions to help clients in a range of sectors ensure that their advertising practices are compliant and effective. As higher sanctions and more targeted regulation become the norm, our proactive approach helps clients stay ahead of regulatory changes, minimising the risk of legal issues and protecting your brand’s reputation.

We offer a full spectrum of advertising law services to support businesses at every stage of its marketing efforts.

  • Content advice: We provide advice to manufacturers, retailers, distributors and platform owners on compliance with UK regulations, including the CAP codes and the wider consumer protection regime. We can also conduct audits of your advertising materials to help identify potential legal issues and provide actionable recommendations for corrective measures.

  • Promotions: We provide on-the-ground advice on new promotional campaigns, supporting clients in relation to comparative claims, platform guidance, terms & conditions, influencer agreements, data protection and sector specific restrictions.

  • Digital advertising compliance: Navigating the digital advertising landscape requires specialised knowledge. Our team advises on compliance with online advertising regulations, including data protection laws and influencer marketing guidelines.

  • Regulatory enforcement and dispute resolution: When things go wrong, we provide robust representation in negotiations, mediations, regulator engagement with the ASA and the CMA, and litigation. 

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