Member Article

Newcastle agency appointment is music to law firm's ears

Law firm Ward Hadaway has been appointed to provide advice to Newcastle-based UK music development agency, Generator.

The award-winning Creative Industries team at Ward Hadaway has been appointed as official legal advisor to Generator UK in respect of its Music Futures programme following a competitive tender.

Based in Newcastle, Generator is the UK’s leading music development agency, advising and assisting bands, performers and music industry professionals across the country.

Via its Music Futures programme in conjunction with its partners Generator will deliver specialist business support and development for music and creative SMEs through an integrated programme of activity covering the whole of the North East of England.

Target SMEs will primarily be from the music sector but the programme will also assist the creative sub-sectors of games, software and digital media, film & TV – businesses that are frequently grouped together with music due to the impact of technology on content creation, distribution and consumption.

Key aims of the programme will be to: provide much-needed focused support and development opportunities for individual music and creative entrepreneurs and SMEs; strategically drive sustainable growth of the North East music and wider creative industries and their corresponding supply chains; attract, grow and retain creative business talent.

The organisation also produces robust programmes in the areas of music business development in a regional context, musician support (including the development of commercial viability of artists) and live music (most significantly in supporting promoters).

Ward Hadaway’s Creative Industries team has been appointed to provide legal advice and support to Generator on a wide range of issues in respect of the programme.

The team will be getting involved as early as this week by holding a series of one-to-one legal clinic drop-in sessions in Newcastle.

Solicitor Carol Isherwood, who was in a signed band prior to embarking on her legal career, will be giving the benefit of her advice and experience on a range of music-related matters at Generator’s offices in Newcastle.

Later in the year, Ward Hadaway will be in attendance at the Music Futures Conference, a key music industry event being organised by Generator which takes place at BALTIC, the centre for contemporary art, in Gateshead in November. Ward Hadaway has previously partnered with the Music Futures Conference in 2011 and 2012.

Laura Harper, Partner and head of Creative Industries at Ward Hadaway, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Generator in respect of its Music Futures Conference for a third year running and to have been appointed by Generator UK to be their official legal advisor in respect of its Music Futures Programme.

“Generator is involved in so many grassroots programmes which help to develop and support the music industry across the UK so it is terrific to get the opportunity to play a part in the excellent work which they do.

“We pride ourselves on providing high quality, accessible legal advice to performers and other professionals across the music, games, software and digital media, film & TV businesses and this appointment enables us to demonstrate how we can help with a wide range of issues facing people in the industry.”

Jonny Gray programme assistant at Generator UK said: “Generator are extremely pleased to be working alongside one of the UK’s leading law firms.

“Ward Hadaway will provide essential advice services to our businesses and individuals on various matters relevant to the creative industries, from Intellectual Property and rights protection, to company formation and contractual matters.”

Ward Hadaway’s Creative Industries team has already been involved in a number of major music events during the course of 2013.

In May, the firm was the Official Entertainment Law Firm of the Liverpool Sound City 2013 music industry conference and festival, having performed the same role in 2012 and 2011.

In July, members of the Creative Industries team were at the Kendal Calling festival in the Lake District, running law surgeries as part of The Academy, a new initiative aiming to provide a platform for festival goers to learn from the best in the industry in an informative and engaging fashion.

Ward Hadaway’s specialist Creative Industries team provides legal advice to a wide range of creative enterprises.

In the music field, the team advises musicians, producers, record labels and management companies on a variety of matters ranging from contractual to copyright infringement issues and contract disputes. It has a tier 2 ranking in the national Legal 500 directory for its Media and Entertainment work.

Members of the Creative Industries team also advise technology and digital businesses including software companies and games designers.

The team won a highly commended accolade in the national Law Society Excellence Awards for excellence in innovation for its work with creative enterprises.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ward Hadaway Law Firm .