Simons Muirhead Burton

Lawyers 86
Turnover Not disclosed
Offices 1

The firm has advised on the sale of Hammer Films, a studio that produced some of the most famous horror films, to the Broadway producer John Gore, who has won 20 Tony awards, an Olivier and an Emmy. Founded in 1934 in London, the studio produced Dracula, The Curse of Frankenstein, The Mummy and more recently The Woman in Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe. The firm’s client, Hammer Studios, was advised on the sale of its shares in the studio to Gore, best known for his work on the 2017 theatrical runs of Hello, Dolly! and Dear Evan Hansen.

It also advised the world’s largest international content producer and distributor Banijay on its investment into the Happy Valley actor James Norton’s production company, Rabbit Track Pictures. Norton, who was nominated for best supporting actor at the 2015 Baftas for playing the villain Tommy Lee Royce, founded Rabbit Track with the executive Kitty Kaletsky. The company launched its first film, Rogue Agent, a thriller starring Norton, on Netflix in 2022.