Media and Entertainment

Our Team

Our media and entertainment practice provides a very fast and always reliable service to clients in this sector through an integrated team of lawyers with established expertise and reputation in their respective fields. Several of our lawyers have gained a unique understanding of the typical issues at stake through long term, in-house projects or secondments.

Unique Sector Knowledge

Our team provides the full range of legal services essential to the success of stakeholders in the media and entertainment sector, irrespective of their size or geographical range. We represent cable operators, gaming and betting companies, sports and media celebrities, television production companies, record labels, singer-songwriters, printed media companies, book publishers, advertising companies, fashion and other designers and many others. The fact that we are involved in so many different legal issues for such a wide range of clients, ensures that our industry knowledge is comprehensive, constantly refreshed and enabling us to provide “swift, clear and no-nonsense solutions” (according to Legal 500 EMEA 2012).

Litigation Proficiency, to the Point Advice

Although the vast majority of our lawyers are well-seasoned litigators, their first objective is to help businesses either prevent or resolve disputes quickly and favorably, preferably out of court. Our litigation expertise allows us to provide our clients with clear, practical advice on any relevant issues, ranging from a legal opinion on freedom of expression, to advice on the termination of an exclusive audiovisual production agreement or an artist management deal.

Intellectual Property Law

We provide innovative advice on all aspects of intellectual property law as it relates to the media and entertainment sector. Our lawyers have significant experience in (non-)contentious matters including; fashion, sports equipment, line extensions and advertising. A variety of matters relating to software and databases have also been handled by our team, both for users and for developers of these products. In particular, our team has developed a preeminent role in the representation of clients in court actions concerning the (non-)infringement of copyright protected content, trademarks, registered design and personality rights (image, name and voice). Finally, we are one of Belgium’s leading practices with regard to pre-trial discovery proceedings regarding the gathering of evidence of infringement of intellectual property rights.

Regulatory Framework

Our team has a detailed knowledge of the regulatory framework regarding certain niches in the media and entertainment industry. We advise and litigate on all regulatory issues related to licenses for sports betting, broadcasting, etc. In this area, we have represented clients before the highest administrative court in Belgium (‘Raad van State’ – ‘Conseil d’Etat’) and assist clients in procedures before relevant agencies including the Gaming Commission, the Council for Journalism and the Jury for Ethical Practices in Advertising.

Corporate, Commercial and Labor Law

Our team advises its media and entertainment clients on the full range of corporate and commercial issues that frequently affect their businesses. We aim to help our clients when growth is part of their strategic objective by informing and advising on joint venture arrangements, distribution agreements, mergers and acquisitions, commercial contracts, management deals, employment matters, corporate governance and compliance issues.

We also advice our clients on issues such as unfair competition, data protection, anti-corruption and anticompetitive behavior.