Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports (METS) Law Department

Stillwaters Law Firm’s (SLF) METS Law department is the first of its kind in Nigeria. The department boasts of a cross section of brilliant and innovative transactional lawyers and litigators with over 50 years’ worth of collective experience. We support the creative and the technology industries, bringing our collective expertise to bear in their routine and special operations.

Due to an innate understanding of our clients’ industries, we bring to the table, innovative and business-minded solutions to the legal needs of businesses in the media, entertainment, technology and sports industries. We understand how to close transactions quickly and efficiently at a cost that makes business sense and we provide one-stop-shop, wholesome and affordable legal services to corporations and start-ups. Upon engagement, we deploy a highly qualified, competent and readily available team of lawyers to handle the client’s brief with zest.

Media

In MEDIA we provide legal advice and representation across bricks and mortar as well as digital advertising, marketing, branding, journalism, publicity and privacy rights and digital content concerns and clearance, offering multi-jurisdictional capabilities to small and large media organisations.

Entertainment

Our ENTERTAINMENT LAW practice covers niche areas in entertainment such as film/TV production and finance (indie and professional companies), music companies and artist representation, cinema, digital gaming, photography, choreography, stage performance, creative and applied arts, creative writing and publishing, concerts, exhibitions, sports and fashion.

Technology

From TECH start-ups to mid-market and big businesses, we provide counsel and representation covering markets such as, eCommerce, telecoms, software, IT and outsourcing services, games and entertainment, hardware, food tech and power tech. We advise from inception stage till maturity where we assist in continued growth by providing services in areas like Mergers and Acquisitions, IPOs and dispute resolution.

Enterprises and individuals in Media, Entertainment, Technology and sports are constantly in the business of pushing boundaries. Our leanings toward a “Yes” as opposed to a “No”, exemplifies our commitment to providing innovative legal solutions and strategic, long-term value propositions focused on smart growth, risk-management and competitive advantage.

Sports

The relevance of sports law in the entertainment industry is fast becoming a very noticeable index. The digital age and its attendant globiliasation has exposed the inherent legal and commercial potency in this sector. Sport and entertainment are now bonded in an intricately woven global web with abundant followership.

In Nigeria, Entertainment and Sports law are amongst the fastest growing areas of legal practice when juxtaposed with other areas of civil law practice.

Our attorneys are thoroughly versed in their areas of specialization and have worked extensively with various sport ownership groups, sport agents, coaches, sponsors and media companies on contentious and non-contentious issues relating to Sponsorship, arena naming rights, event contracts, brand management, sport governance, exploitation of commercial rights, marketing rights, stadium financings to franchise acquisitions and others.

Areas

Advertising and Marketing

IArts (Creative, Fine and Applied)

Business formation

Emerging Growth and Venture Capital
Employment and Talents
Radio
Endorsements and Merchandising
Exhibitions, Events and Concerts
Financing
Intellectual Property
Intellectual Property (Copyright, Patents and Trademarks)
Registration of Technology
Media Rights
Mergers and Acquisition
Music and Film/TV
Private Equity
Publishing
Regulatory and Compliance

Start-Ups

We remain committed to the acceleration, growth and development of the creative, start-up and technology landscape in Nigeria in particular and Africa as a whole. We are passionate about assisting start-ups get organized, launch and scale their businesses and also avoid legal pitfalls in the process which could translate into financial hemorrhages in the future. As a result, we have specially tailored billing options and packages for start-ups on a lean budget that pass our entrepreneurial and means test. We also have flexible options for Media and Entertainment Entrepreneurs.

Expertise