Sarah is a commercial contracts and IP lawyer with a particular specialism in the Technology, Media, Retail and Data Protection sector.
With more than twenty years’ experience gained in both private practice City law firms and in-house as general counsel of a large media group, she has a wide practice area covering areas such as commercial services contracts, all types of technology agreements, brand licensing, print and publishing contracts, joint venture agreements, outsourcing agreements, and media and advertising contracts.
She is an expert on advising on the implications of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the UK Data Protection Act 2018 and regularly advises clients ranging from the largest global companies to SMEs and start ups on its implications.
Sarah is also an experienced speaker at various client and internal and sector briefings.
Thank you so much for all of your advice and support over the past year or so, with all things GDPR-related. I have hugely appreciated your responsive, pragmatic and succinct advice, and it has made the world of data protection feel a lot more manageable.
Claudia Vincenzi, Senior Legal Counsel
Notonthehighstreet.com
Expertise
Brand Management & Licensing
- White label service contracts.
- Media deals.
- Large group re-organisations.
- Portfolio management and strategy.
- Licensing.
- Dispute resolution.
Commercial Contracts
- Contracts for products and services (bespoke and standard terms).
- Outsourcing, in-sourcing and logistics.
- Advised a private casino on a broad range of commercial contracts.
- Advised a private casino as their in-house General Counsel.
- Advised on commercial contracts for videogame/app development, platform publishing deals, agency and distribution deals, merchandising, and marketing contracts.
Corporate Support
- Advising on strategy for diligence, reviewing key contracts, advising on adequacy of IP portfolio.
Data Protection
- Advising on internal compliance.
- Customer terms and conditions.
- Regulatory issues.
Media
- Broadcast commissioning agreements.
- Production agreements.
- Advice on structuring TV deals.
- Licensing and merchandising and distribution.
- Advertising agency terms.
- Data protection compliance.
- Regulatory compliance and disputes.
- Theatre touring licences, development options and exhibition licences.
- Publishing contracts.
- White label publishing deals.
- Advertising contracts.
- Sales promotions compliance.
Technology
- Systems development and maintenance.
- Hosting.
- Database licensing.
- Large-scale technology development contracts.
- Technology migration projects.
- App/games publishing agreements
Experience
Acquisitions
- Key adviser on multi-million-pound acquisitions of major household brands such as Britax, Just Retirement, major football clubs, Yo Sushi, and Wagamama.
- Advising on the acquisition of Tiger Aspect TV production company by IMG.
- Acquisition of TAG Worldwide (the world’s largest independent marketing execution and production company) to Williams Lea.
- Key advisor on the acquisition of Friends Reunited by Brightsolid Limited.
- Acquisition of multi-million-pound medical equipment for the private hospital sector.
Commercial Contracts
- Advice on consumer issues in advertising such as food labelling for major brands including Campbell Soup, Tropicana, Yum!, E&J Gallo and Anheuser Busch.
- Advising on multi-million-pound logistics contract for major household name.
- Advising on agency terms for various large agencies including BBDO.
- Advising seller on all commercial and IP aspects of the sale of a technology company to Amazon.
- Advising DC Thomson on various international co-productions and ‘white label’ publishing deals with major household names including Nickelodeon and Disney.
Data Protection
- Advised Notonthehighstreet.com on its DPA and GDPR compliance.
- Data protection advisor to Omnicom Group.
- Advising TJX (owner of TK Maxx) on regulatory action following one of the largest historical data breaches involving 45 million data records.
Technology
- Advising on multi-million-pound passenger information system in the airline industry.
- Launch of major new platform for Pizza Hut.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Sarah Needham is recognised by the Legal 500 2017 for Commercial Contracts and Brand Management.
Ranked in Chambers 2010-2013 and Legal 500 in advertising and marketing, and media and entertainment, respectively
Ranked in 2013 ‘Super Lawyers’ directory
Career
Sarah qualified as a solicitor in 2003. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2016, she worked at the following firms:
- Taylor Wessing
- Macfarlanes