Tony Stephens

Managing Director

Tony is Managing Director of the firm and an English solicitor with over twenty-five years’ experience. He provides a full range of commercial advice, from drafting and advising on franchising, distribution, licensing and agency arrangements, through to sourcing and design arrangements, IP protection and enforcement, to marketing and sponsorship issues.

He has a wealth of international experience, having for many years managed the provision of legal support to one of our client’s thirteen subsidiary operations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, covering business in over forty EMEA countries. In recent years his practice has increasingly involved helping UK premium and luxury fashion brands in their expansion into the US, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, covering most major markets in those regions.

Tony also has significant experience in negotiating sponsorship deals in the sports sector, with premiership football clubs and players, along with associations and athletes from a broad spread of sports.

Having started life as a litigator in one of London’s magic circle firms, Tony also advises on dispute resolution matters. On the brand protection side, Tony was for many years a board member of SNB REACT, the European brand protection group managing IP enforcement issues for over 100 branded goods companies in most of the countries of the EU.

Tony regularly provides advice and training to his clients on competition law, anti-corruption/anti-bribery, data protection, consumer rights and intellectual property matters – all areas of significance to a brand seeking to establish itself with a global footprint.