Jennifer Huby

Partner | Sydney

+61 2 9334 8638 jhuby@hwle.com.au

Jennifer is a partner in the corporate and commercial group and works in the areas of media and entertainment, intellectual property, privacy, advertising, private M&A and commercial contracting.   

Jennifer’s practice in the media and entertainment industry covers live performance, theatre, film, television, broadcasting, podcasts and music. Jennifer acts for many leading producers of theatrical productions including rights acquisitions for Australian productions of Broadway and West End productions, financing and investment arrangements and agreements for theatre hire, merchandise, engagement of creative and cast, music licensing and cast albums. She has also acted on licensing and delivered show agreements for the touring of productions throughout Asia and the Middle East.  She acts for a number of leading film and television producers and financiers (both local and international) and has credits on numerous film and television productions spanning over 20 years. In the music field, Jennifer acts for some iconic Australian artists and one of the major record companies and is experienced in all aspects of music acquisition, protection and exploitation. 

Jennifer also has specialist expertise in the area of intellectual property. She advises on the protection, commercialisation, exploitation of clients’ products and services including copyright, trade marks and designs and acts for owners of well-known brands, characters and trade marks worldwide and FMCG companies. Jennifer is also regularly engaged to review advertisements and marketing campaigns as well as the labelling, packaging and get-up of products.  She has also advised on numerous large transactions over many years in which IP plays a critical part.  She has conducted reviews, audits and due diligence on IP assets of companies, particularly when acting for a party wishing to acquire an IP based company or invest in an IP based company or project.   

Jennifer has been selected for inclusion in: 

  1. the Asia Pacific Legal 500 for Corporate/M&A, Intellectual Property, Telecommunications, Media & Technology and Media & Entertainment on 9 occasions. 
  2. the Chambers and Partners Legal Directory for Intellectual Property and Technology, Media & Telecoms on 5 occasions.  
  3. the Asialaw Leading Lawyers Guide as a Leading Lawyers in IT, Telco & Media and Intellectual Property and listed as a Leading Lawyer in Australia in the Asialaw Profiles for IT, Telco & Media on 6 occasions. 

Expertise

Experience

  • Theatre Acting for producers of musical stage productions and advises on the structures for producing and financing Broadway and West End shows in Australia including: Hadestown; MJ The Musical; Hamilton; @Juliet; Moulin Rouge; Six; Wicked; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; Jagged Little Pill; Beautiful: The Carole King Musical; Kinky Boots; Come From Away; The Book of Mormon; Mamma Mia!; Billy Elliot; Les Miserables; and The Lion King tour of Asia. 
  • Film Worked extensively in the film and television areas for over 25 years including for Warner Bros., The Jim Henson Company, Hallmark Entertainment, Fremantle and Fox Searchlight, as well as many Australian producers including Baz Luhrmann. Her work ranges from local production such as ‘The Way, My Way’ to international productions such the Mad Max feature film ‘Furiosa’ filmed in Australia, acting for Warner Bros. 
  • Music As well as acting for one of the major record companies, Jennifer has acted for numerous artists including The Veronicas, Midnight Oil, Jimmy Barnes and Tina Arena and other artists on touring, publishing, live performance and recording; 
  • Private M&A Acted on numerous sales and acquisitions of businesses in the film, television and theatre space and IP based companies including Lingo Pictures / ITV; Fremantle / Essential Media and Entertainment; Sony Pictures Television / Playmaker Media; and Zapruduer’s Other Films / Cordell Jigsaw; All3Media / SLR Productions. 
  • Advertising Advised many clients on marketing and packaging material and advertising of products for compliance with the Australian Consumer Law. Jennifer is a panel member of the Advertising Claims Board and has reviewed advertising campaigns and written determinations in response to complaints filed with Ad Standards. She has also prepared (and advised on) many agreements for the engagement of sponsors, ambassadors and social media influencers. 
  • IP and Trade Marks Advises on copyright including protection, assignments and licensing and undertook a large task for the Department of Defence involving an audit, training, creation of an IP register and management plan for their IP. She also advises on brand protection and manages trade mark portfolios for a number of clients including a major retailer in Australia and New Zealand which includes the registration and maintenance of their trade marks (both in Australia and overseas). 
  • Privacy, Spam, Digital and Social Media Acted for: APN News & Media in relation to their online shopping clubs and has advised on various regulatory matters including requirements under the Privacy Act and Spam Act; the peak body for the live performance industry, Live Performance Australia, and advised on privacy and spam issues for the industry generally; the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and provided advice on a guide to sharing content on social media; and Creativemass which included reviewing content of their website prior to launch and advising on the legal and compliance issues relating to the inclusion of videos, podcasts, artistic works, titles/headings, news articles and opinion pieces on their website. 
  • Trade Promotions Advises clients on their trade promotions including a major bank, airline and real estate company and advises on compliance with the various States and Territory legislation for games of skill and games of chance and prepares Terms & Conditions.