Clare McGarry is a managing associate in the Film, Television and Theatre Department at Harbottle & Lewis. Clare trained at Linklaters and qualified into their IP and Media team before moving over to Harbottle to join the Film and TV team.
Clare works on a broad range of matters across the Film, TV and Theatre industries, on all aspects of the team’s work, including the development, production, acquisition and exploitation of rights and content (including advising rightsholders as well as producers). Clare works with many high profile independent producers and rightsholders as well as advising major SVODs and content financiers.
Clare previously received a client testimonial in Legal 500: “A pleasure to work with. Fantastic attention to detail and very responsive to client requests. Runs matters efficiently and inspires confidence in her clients” and has been listed as a “key lawyer” in Harbottles’ Media and Entertainment Department.
Clare has also been ranked as a “rising star” in this year’s IP Stars awards.
Clients Clare works with include Amazon, Apple, Universal Pictures, Mediapro, Complete Fiction, Jax, Rebellion, Netflix, The National Theatre, Studio Crook, Popcorn, Eventim, See-Saw, to name but a few.
- Rights acquisitions, protection and licensing for film, TV and theatre projects.
- Development of film, TV and theatre projects including option and writer deals and development deals with broadcasters/studios.
- TV commissioning deals.
- Convergence between film, TV and theatre projects.
- Production of film, TV and theatre projects.
- Distribution and sales agency arrangements for film and TV projects.
- Advising Apple on production issues in relation to their film, Napolean, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby
- Advising Amazon Studios on various film and TV projects, including on chain of title, development and production matters.
- Advising The National Theatre on its critically acclaimed film production of Romeo & Juliet for Sky, starring Josh O’Connor and Jessie Buckley.
- Advising the producers of the musical concert, Together at Home (a televised concert on BBC 1 which featured dozens of celebrities performing at home to raise money for frontline workers) on TV rights issues.
- Advising Rebellion on the protection of its valuable intellectual property rights in relation to various film and television projects in development and on the production of the film, Schools Out.
- Advising Complete Fiction on their slate of development work and their first look arrangements with Netflix, as well as on production matters for various projects such as Lockwood.
- Advising Apple on production issues for the second series of their TV show, Surface.
- Clare presents annually to the Indielab cohort on first look and distribution deals.
- Clare ran a workshop for the BAFTA Elevate cohort on IP and development contracts.
- Clare ran a seminar for the BAFTA Breakthrough cohort on protecting ideas and formats in film and TV.
- Clare ran a workshop for the Pact Skills cohort on writer and option agreements.
- Clare gave a presentation on copyright, defamation and life rights to a group of producer-directors from the Cinesisters group.
- Clare ran a session for the Identity School of Acting on common legal issues encountered by film and TV producers.
- Clare presented a FOCUS session to Scottish film and TV producers on the impact of Brexit on the industry.
- Clare is a mentor to students interested in pursuing a career in media law.
