Digital Media Group

This is the page of the Digital Media Group

Digital Media Group Committee

Chair:
Alice Esuola- Grant, Associate, Bristows

Alice is an associate in the commercial IP/IT team at Bristows. She specialises in commercial transactions relating to information technology and intellectual property.

She has advised clients on a broad range of commercial matters, including in relation to e-commerce, technology transactions, the development and exploitation of intellectual property and the provision of media services, with particular expertise in advising consumer-facing clients. In addition, Alice advises on consumer protection, advertising and marketing law compliance.

Alice has undertaken secondments to the in-house legal teams of a news and media group and a leading IT outsourcing company. Her experience has given her a good grounding to provide tailored and commercially-focussed legal advice which helps clients to achieve their strategic aims.

Committee:
Neelam Dass, Associate, Bristows LLP

Neelum is an associate in the commercial IP/IT team at Bristows. She specialises in commercial transactions related to information technology, intellectual property, data privacy and e-commerce.

Neelum’s experience includes assisting and advising on the interpretation, negotiation and drafting of a wide range of commercial contracts related to technology, e-commerce, software licensing and social media. Neelum also drafts terms and conditions for websites and apps, privacy policies, sponsorship agreements and digital media contracts.

Neelum has completed secondments to the in-house legal departments of various clients where she gained valuable commercial experience. She spent several months with the in-house legal department of a leading IT outsourcing company, a global video games company and a top UK insurer.

James Balfour, Senior Associate, Herbert Smith Freehills

James is a Senior Associate in the Media and Digital team at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, focusing primarily on media, entertainment and communications law and regulation of the digital landscape. James advises on a wide range of media and digital matters, including digital platforms and content, e-commerce, gambling and gaming, content creation, acquisition and distribution, sports rights and sponsorship deals and advertising and marketing arrangements (including influencer marketing). James is a co-author of the PLC notes "Overview of Broadcast Content Regulation" and “TV (Broadcasting and Internet) Industry Overview” and has spent time on secondment at Sky and Wayra (a start-up incubator in the telecoms sector).

Marlon Cohen, Partner, Simons Muirhead & Burton

Marlon is a partner at SMB specialising in complex strategic work for clients in the media, retail and technology sectors. His wide-ranging practice covers all sides of the media, broadcasting and communications spectrum, acting for brands and content owners, global platforms, broadcasters and telecoms companies on a broad range of commercial and content-related matters. Specialising in complex commercial contracts and technology arrangements for clients, he often works for both suppliers and customers of services. 

He regularly works on complex commercial work with a media focus including sponsorship and endorsement deals (including sponsorship tie-ups with Team GB and Paralympics GB for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics), marketing related agreements (such as creative agency, media buying, and talent agreements), broadcasting, digital content and production agreements, publishing deals, as well as more tech/digital focused deals (including gaming platform, digital multiplex, content distribution and transmission arrangements).

Shayna-Radhika Patel, Associate, Harbottle & Lewis

Shayna is an associate in the Media and Entertainment group at Harbottle & Lewis. She has commercial/regulatory experience with particular expertise and interest in digital, advertising and data protection. She has advised clients from a variety of sectors including film and production, video games, advertising, fashion & luxury goods and travel & leisure, including some of the world’s best known brands, agencies, platforms and media companies.

Benson Egwuonwu, Associate, DAC Beachcroft

Benson is an associate in the Commercial Litigation team at DAC Beachcroft LLP. Benson acts in a variety of commercial disputes, including media, defamation, harassment, intellectual property and privacy. He has advised clients across a range of sectors including healthcare, technology and consumer goods. Benson has a particular interest in online content regulation and has advised on takedowns of unlawful content.

Julia Ostendorf, Associate, Herbert Smith Freehills

Julia is an Associate in the Technology, Media, Telecoms and Data team at Herbert Smith Freehills. Julia advises on a broad range of commercial and data privacy matters, including for clients in the technology, media and entertainment sectors. She has a particular interest in the video game industry and has advised clients on emerging technologies such as NFTs. Julia has spent several months on secondments to the in-house legal departments at Sky and Royal Mail. 


Function of the Group

To provide thought leadership on the interaction between computers and the media. This includes audio (radio), audio-visual (TV), magazines, newspapers, books, content aggregators, blogs, social media and other forms of UGC.

  • Responding to, and commenting on, law reform proposals.
  • Writing articles, blog posts etc.
  • Sponsoring and hosting events with leading speakers.
  • Identifying new legal issues for the sector.

Sharing knowledge on:

  • The law.
  • Market developments.
  • Business issues affecting the media sector.

Enhancing the SCL's reputation and influence in the media sector; providing 'added value' to SCL members with an interest in this area; and helping to inform the SCL committee on key media developments.

Areas of Interest

Convergence

  • Format shifting, eg E-Books, Apps, online TV, online content aggregators.
  • New delivery platforms.
  • Social media.
  • Media business models.

Broadcast

  • Communications Act: licensing; EPGs etc

Regulation of Online Content

  • Defamation, misuse of private information, contempt.
  • Regulatory content standards – Ofcom, ATVOD, BBC Trust.
    Injunctions.
  • Social media issues.

Jurisdiction

  • The application of UK law to online content.
  • The regulation of online content in other jurisdictions.
  • Enforceability of UK and foreign judgments affecting the media.


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