Boutique - Music Law Firm of the Year in England Bray & Krais Mark Krais Partner Tel: +44 (0)20 7384 3050 mark@brayandkrais.com www.brayandkrais.com
Bray & Krais Solicitors is a leading law firm specialising in music and entertainment law, in particular, non-contentious music practice. Established in 1996, it is also known for its work on high-profile live events. Founding partners Richard Bray and Mark Krais are well respected and recognised for their talent and outstanding ability. Simon Dixon, who joined Bray & Krais in 2006, is an inspirational partner and leads the firm’s theatre team. The firm is experienced in working with brands wishing to engage with music properties, whether by way of licensing content, entering into commercial sponsorship arrangements or through a more rounded talent partnership agreement. It undertakes the full range of commercial music agreements, including recording, publishing, management, sponsorship and merchandising agreements. Bray & Krais specialises in international branded live events and works on a number of experiential projects for brands, agencies, charities and promoters across the world, advising on staging, security, ticketing and merchandise. Previous projects include the Live 8 concerts, F1 Rocks concerts and Rolling Stones tours since 1996. It also advises clients on matters surrounding intellectual property rights, including licensing, sales and distribution of catalogues, and commercial agreements which relate to live events. Typical clients include: well-known artists and songwriters; major record companies and publishers; managers and agents; theatrical producers and rights holders; and investors and brands. The firm also acts for a broad range of
corporate clients, including established corporates, start-ups, founding shareholders and investors in relation to the full range of media and entertainment businesses. Bray & Krais advises composers, writers, directors and choreographers working in the theatre and larger live stage events, and has expertise in the cross-over between music and theatre. In addition, the firm assists composers in sourcing publishing contracts, as well as advising on protection and exploitation of copyright, including matching writers with appropriate publishing companies. Its experience includes advising on grand rights and interpolated licences in the context of live events and theatre. The firm also acts for established corporates, start-ups, founding shareholders, and investors in relation to the full range of media and entertainment businesses – such as record labels, publishing, live events, brands, artist management, PR, technology and new media. Moreover, it acts for a number of corporate clients outside of the media space. Its corporate focus areas include mergers and acquisitions (both share sales and business sales); joint ventures and other shareholder arrangements; start-up strategy and structuring; new business models; partnerships and LLPs; financings (both equity and debt); and business advisory services. Bray & Krais recently acted as legal advisor to the seller, Richard Thompson, in the acquisition of a majority 60% stake in UK-based talent management agency Merlin Elite by ad agency M&C Saatchi. The deal was worth an estimated £1.5 million. Ben Gisbey led the team, with partner Mark Krais leading on commercial matters and consultant Robin Davis on employment and property matters. Both Richard Thompson and Merlin Elite have been long-standing clients of the firm in relation to both corporate and commercial matters.
Boutique - Tax Litigation Law Firm of the Year in England The Khan Partnership LLP Hassan Khan Senior Partner Tel: +44 (0)20 7612 2530 info@thekhanpartnership.com www.thekhanpartnership.com
The Khan Partnership LLP has worked in the area of Tax Litigation since its founding in 2004 as a boutique litigation practice. The Tax Disputes and Regulatory Team regularly conduct complex tax enquiries, and tax audits, all types of contested tax matters in the First-Tier Tax Tribunal, the Upper Tribunal (Tax Chamber), the High Court, the Court of Appeal, the Crown Court and the European Court of Justice. The firm currently has conduct of approximately 100 contentious tax matters in dispute involving in excess of £2 billion. The firm handles over 100 contentious tax matters per year with sums in dispute exceeding £2 million per annum. The team has an independently recognised strong reputation and achieves excellent results for its clients in the majority of cases it conducts. It regularly receives instructions from multinational corporations, high net worth individuals, other law and accountancy firms, Receivers and Liquidators. The firm’s team is one of the most experienced tax disputes teams in the UK and has been independently ranked in legal guides Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 as a top tier UK firm since 2005.
The firm regularly acts at the cutting edge of tax law and policy and many of the cases it conducts are reported as precedent cases. The firm’s founding partner, Hassan Khan, was formerly Senior Lawyer and European Legal Affairs co-ordinator at HMRC Solicitor’s Office from 1995 to 2001. He ran global law firm Baker & McKenzie (London’s) VAT and Customs practice from 2001- 2004. He has been rated in Legal Experts since 2003 as an expert in tax (VAT and Customs and Excise). Hassan has also been ranked in Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 since 2003 as a UK leader in contentious tax matters. Hassan holds specialist advisory positions to the leading customs and tax industry groups in the UK. He was Honorary Secretary to the Customs Practitioners Group (“CPG”) from 2002-2008 and its Honorary Legal Advisor from 2008 to date. Since 2002 he has also been Honorary Legal Advisor to the UK Warehousing Association (“UKWA”) on tax and customs matters. Hassan is a specialist editor to Butterworth Tolley and a frequent speaker on customs, trade and tax issues at conferences and seminars. Michelle Sloane, Partner in the Tax Litigation Team, is a current CPG Council Member and is Honorary Legal Advisor to the Bonded Warehouse Association, a specialist trade body to those involved in the alcohol industry trading in excise goods.
2013 Legal Awards
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