Pictured above: Antenna Craig Chettle and Ed Wright

Antenna, the newly-opened Nottingham centre dedicated to businesses in the creative industries sector, has appointed Berryman as its partner law firm, as part of an exclusive agreement to benefit the centre's members through the provision of specialist legal and commercial advice.

Antenna, the latest addition to the Confetti Media Group, was opened in November 2009 by Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Lord Mandelson. It represents a 'new approach to creative working', and provides state of the art members-only facilities and offices all designed to support and inspire creativity.

Under the partnering arrangement, Berryman will provide Antenna members with specialised legal support services, as the firm's John Buckby, a solicitor in the Technology, Media and Telecoms Sector (TMT) team, explains: "Berryman will offer Antenna members a range of legal services which are especially relevant to creative businesses. We will host regular free legal advice sessions, presentations and workshops for members on intellectual property and other key areas. Antenna members will also receive a 20 percent discount on a host of specific legal services, including the drafting of contracts and terms and conditions.

"Another part of the partnering arrangement will see the firm offering free of charge health checks and advice on terms and conditions of business, the licensing and assignment of intellectual property, straightforward partnership and shareholders agreements, employment contracts and audits, debt collection and commencing or defending legal proceedings."  

Steve Chapman, Development Director at Antenna, comments: "Antenna is delighted to have established the partnership with Berryman. The Confetti Media Group has had a long relationship with the firm and Berryman has been involved with the development of Antenna from the start.  

"Antenna's role is to provide support to the creative industries and become a driving force behind the continued development of UK creative talent; we are industry supporting industry. We looked for partners who not only understand the creative industries but also see the exciting opportunities ahead. The criteria for our chosen partner law firm required proof of a wealth of relevant experience, but also the ability to talk the right language. For us, Berryman is the ideal partner."

Berryman's John Buckby is a creative industries specialist - with a background in the music industry - and has been involved in many different creative industry businesses in the course of his career. As a key member of the firm's Commercial Intellectual Property (IP) and Technology, Media and Telecoms Sector (TMT) teams, headed by partner Ed Wright, he now works closely with the business teams and members at Antenna and Confetti, as well as UK Trade & Investment and regional organisations that are dedicated to the creative industries, including NCN (Nottingham Creative Network) and CIN (Creative Industries Network) in Derbyshire, of which he is an active Board member. John also runs popular legal advice sessions aimed at creative industries businesses at leading incubation spaces across the East Midlands, including at LCB Depot in Leicester, Nottingham's Broadway Media Centre, and Quad in Derby. 

John adds: "The team is very pleased to have been appointed the official legal partner at Antenna, which is an extremely exciting venture. It looks set to become the place to be for the region's creative industries and businesses. The partnership is further confirmation of Berryman's growing reputation as the leading legal team for the creative industries in the region."

Antenna has confirmed partnerships with three further service providers - Cooper Parry, Yorkshire Bank and Russell Scanlan. "The Centre is developing a programme of activity before our formal launch in March," explains Steve Chapman.  

Berryman is a Midlands' law firm based in Nottingham, which provides an extensive portfolio of legal services within four key areas: Business Services, Property & Construction, Insurance Services and Private Client. It employs over 130 people and has 17 partners.