BLUEPRINT LAW
EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE
TC-N-2-V1
Blueprint Law has one of the leading entertainment and media law practices in Australia, offering international experience and local expertise across the full spectrum of film, television, theatre, music, publishing, celebrity law, sport and online commerce. Our lawyers have worked for specialist media, music and entertainment law firms internationally, including in Los Angeles, New York, London and Sydney, and have also been heads of legal and business affairs for entertainment companies operating in live theatre, film and television productions and for financiers in the media sector. Our first-hand in-house industry knowledge gives us a thorough understanding of the commercial and creative objectives of our clients and, combined with our first-rate technical skills, ensures that we provide the highest quality advice and legal and business affairs services. We also have extensive experience of working as lawyers and business affairs advisors in live theatre. Our theatre practice is unique in Australia in having local, international and in-house first-hand industry expertise. Our lead lawyer, Nick Hart, has worked in-house as a theatre lawyer in London and Sydney and on various productions internationally. We value our international experience and our excellent relationships within a network of UK and US legal and accounting advisors, enabling us to provide legal and business affairs expertise for incoming and outgoing productions and investment. We also provide strategic and pragmatic advice in resolving legal disputes and protecting, enforcing and defending rights in the entertainment industries. We are flexible in our approach to fees and, apart from offering highly competitive rates, we generally work to fixed budgets. Please see below for some examples of what we do and who does it!
SOME OF WHAT WE CAN DO FOR YOU... Film and Television
Theatre
Music
Reputation Management
Sport
Online and General Legal Services
Film and television production Animation production Co-productions Option and purchase deals Financing and investment agreements Distribution and sales agency arrangements Television format licensing Live events Rights acquisition and licensing, including stage rights and music rights Investor and financing agreements Engaging and commissioning authors, composers, lyricists and book writers Agreements with creative contributors e.g. directors, designers, choreographers Co-productions and licensing of productions Hiring of theatres and venues Sponsorship, marketing and merchandising Supply, purchase or hire of equipment Rights clearances and copyright advice Publishing and recording agreements Licensing arrangements Performer agreements Defamation, privacy and confidentiality Talent agreements, sponsorship and endorsement arrangements Rights licensing and acquisition agreements Event organisation and sponsorship, and brand management Ticketing issues Manufacture, sale and distribution of associated sporting goods Terms and conditions, privacy policies and trade mark registration Domain name disputes Confidentiality agreements Corporate structuring and shareholder agreements
Gary Rogers, Solicitor-Director Gary established Blueprint Law in 2004 and has over 20 years’ experience in media and entertainment, having worked in London, Los Angeles and Sydney, including four years as senior in-house counsel with major freeto-air broadcasters, Channels 4 and 5, in the UK.
E grogers@blueprintlaw.com.au T + 61 2 9300 3101
Gary is vastly experienced in relation to film and television financing, production and distribution. He also has significant litigation experience, particularly in relation to intellectual property, media and technology matters. He is particularly well-regarded for his commercial approach and regularly assists clients in guiding them through the process of getting deals done.
Nick Hart, Solicitor-Director Nick is a very experienced media and entertainment lawyer, having worked extensively as a lawyer in the music and theatre industries at specialist law firms and in-house in London and Sydney.
E nhart@blueprintlaw.com.au T + 61 2 9300 3103
Nick combines technical expertise with a commercial approach gained from working at The Really Useful Group in London and as Head of Legal & Business Affairs for Global Creatures. He has wide-ranging experience across all aspects of developing, producing and licensing theatrical and arena productions in Australia and worldwide. An avid supporter of the industry, Nick is also a Director of the Hayes Theatre Co in Sydney.
Christine Newman, Special Counsel Christine specialises in entertainment and media law, particularly in the television and live theatrical industries. Christine has worked in-house with the Film Finance Corporation (now Screen Australia), leading film and television production company, Essential Media and Entertainment and the innovative live theatre production company, Global Creatures. As Head of Legal and Business Affairs at Essential, E cnewman@blueprintlaw.com.au Christine was responsible for contracting all development, financing, production and distribution T + 61 2 9300 3107 agreements across multiple genres, including with
several local and international co-production partners as well as managing the international group's general legal affairs. At Blueprint Law Christine has acted for a number of production company and broadcasting clients using her extensive experience and industry contacts to ensure all contracting and business affairs needs of her clients are met quickly and efficiently.
Ted Cawrey, Special Counsel Ted has been developing his media and financing practise for over 12 years, starting at a leading entertainment and media law firm in London. He then worked for 5½ years at Ingenious Media, where he headed up the in-house Legal & Business Affairs team arranging investment in, and production of, a very wide variety of film and television projects being produced around the world. Ted’s specialism is in structuring E tcawrey@blueprintlaw.com.au production funding to best access local and international incentives. T + 61 2 9300 3108
Ted joined Blueprint Law in September 2016 and will be negotiating complex financing, creative, production and corporate documents with a focus on the media sector, for clients that produce, sell, distribute, bond and finance. Ted is in the process of re-qualification in Australia; until then he is admitted to practise the laws of England & Wales.
Karina Vasili, Associate
E kvasili@blueprintlaw.com.au T + 61 2 9300 3102
Karina joined Blueprint Law in 2010 and is actively involved in our media and entertainment practice. She has acquired significant experience in preparing and negotiating a broad range of rights and production agreements, predominately in relation to film and television production, with a particular emphasis on animation projects. She also provides intellectual property advice to clients in the media and entertainment sector, including in relation to the protection and commercialism of intellectual property and the resolution of intellectual property disputes.