Lex 100 - Harbottle & Lewis LLP

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Harbottle & Lewis LLP

Hanover House 14 Hanover Square London W1S 1HP

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The trainee verdict

The lowdown (in their own words...)

Why did you choose this firm over any others? 'Good reputation'; 'areas of law covered'; 'reputation for high-quality training'; 'well-known clients'; 'central location'; 'a leading media and sports law firm'; 'central location'; 'smaller firm so more responsibility'; 'breadth of training'

How does your training compare with peers' at other firms? 'Much better work/life balance'; 'more hands-on experience'; 'rather more haphazard'; 'I don't feel particularly supervised'; 'less stressful'; 'more client contact'; 'more interesting work'

Best thing about the firm? 'Training is very good'; 'the other trainees are great fun'; 'the location'; 'working for well-known clients'; 'free lunch'; 'manageable hours'

Worst thing about the firm? 'Lack of socialising'; 'lack of benefits'; 'crummy heating'; 'nasty toilets'; 'horrible coffee'; 'no firm-wide social ethos'; 'inadequate secretarial support'; 'unreliable IT systems'

Best moment? 'Dinner at Maze followed by drinks at the Ivy after a successful hearing'; 'going to court'; 'attending the British Comedy Awards ceremony and after-party'; 'organising an auction for a well-known charity and being personally thanked by the senior partner'

Worst moment? 'Getting lost in the RCJ when I had urgent documents to file'; 'doing seemingly endless research tasks'; 'staying until midnight on a Friday stuffing envelopes'; 'too many hours spent photocopying and preparing bundles'

The Lex 100 verdict

The firm

Harbottle & Lewis is well-known for its deep roots in the media and entertainment industry, advising clients across a range of matters including sponsorship, private client and defamation. It also advises on TV, film and theatre funding and production issues. Media deals in the sub-£50m bracket remain a theme for the corporate practice. Clients say the firm provides a 'first-class service' and is an 'invaluable asset'.

The star performers

Asset finance and leasing; Brand management; Commercial property; Defamation and privacy; Family; IT and telecoms; Intellectual property; M&A: smaller deals up to £50m; Media and entertainment; Sport; Venture capital.

The deals

Advised EA Sports on its appointment as official sports technology partner of the Barclays Premier League and exclusive video game licence; representing LucasFilm in the first IP case to be referred to the Supreme Court; advised FIFA on brand protection for itself and its partners concerning the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The clients

Chelsea FC; Andy Murray, Cadbury; DreamWorks Studios; Film London; Jamie Cullen; Lowe & Partners; Matthew Pinsent; Mortimer Whittaker O'Sullivan; NBC Universal; Omnifone; Sony Pictures Entertainment; Tom Daley; Universal Music Group; Working Title.

The Verdict

If you are looking for a career in media law then top-tier firm Harbottle & Lewis should already be a familiar name. Known for its 'leading' reputation not only in media law but also sports law, trainees are dazzled by its 'sexy' client list and 'friendly' atmosphere as well as its West End location. The 'high-quality' training at the firm allows for 'more hands-on experience and less miscellaneous bundling' although some trainees would prefer more supervision ('it can feel quite haphazard'). Trainees are also exposed to more client contact and responsibility than peers at other similarly sized firms. As well as the more starry practice areas such as TV, film and theatre, if you bag a training contract here you will get a thorough grounding in core areas of corporate, litigation and property. You may get to go to some 'glitzy' events including 'the British Comedy Awards ceremony and after-party' and 'dinner at Maze followed by drinks at the Ivy after a successful hearing'. Which should help to make up for the decidedly less glitzy offices ('crummy heating and nasty toilets') and the coffee ('horrible'). Other complaints arise from the lack of benefits for trainees and one current trainee would like to see more of a 'firm-wide social ethos'. However, if you are looking to work in a firm with an outstanding reputation and 'very friendly and approachable' people make a beeline for Harbottle & Lewis.