-
Gary Rogers
Solicitor-Director
Gary Rogers established Blueprint Law in 2004. He is an experienced commercial lawyer with particular expertise in corporate and commercial law, franchising, intellectual property, technology, media and entertainment law. He has almost twenty years’ experience gained at respected commercial law firms in the United Kingdom and Australia. He has advised clients across many industry sectors, including on matters relating to corporate deals, financing, business start-ups, joint ventures, commercialisation of technology, film and television production, financing and distribution, music publishing and recording deals, book publishing, broadcasting, merchandising, technology and sports law. He has worked in Sydney, Los Angeles and London, including four years as a senior lawyer and business affairs advisor for Channels 4 and 5 in the United Kingdom.
Gary was originally qualified in England and Wales and is now admitted to practice in New South Wales, Australia.
Email: grogers@blueprintlaw.com.au
-
Ryan Stephenson
Senior Associate
Ryan is an intellectual property and commercial lawyer who specialises in media and entertainment law. Having originally trained and worked in the UK he is now admitted to practice in New South Wales, Australia.
Ryan has extensive experience in all aspects of television production, financing and distribution, and ancillary rights exploitation. Ryan spent the first five years of his career in television as an in-house lawyer for two of Britain's leading television production companies. He then moved to Australia in early 2003, where he took up a role as legal counsel for the Southern Star Group in Sydney before joining Blueprint Law in 2006. Ryan has worked on projects as varied as the original version of "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire" (Celador Productions), the ground-breaking documentary series "Wife Swap" (RDF Media), award-winning drama "Love My Way" (Southern Star Entertainment) and "Big Brother" (Endemol Southern Star). Whilst at Southern Star he was a member of the intellectual property advisory committee for the Screen Producer's Association of Australia.
-
Hussein Karimjee
Senior Associate
Hussein is a commercial, property and litigation lawyer, with more than a decade of experience in both non-contentious and contentious commercial matters. Hussein was admitted as a Solicitor in England & Wales for over ten years and has been admitted in Australia for over four years.
He brings international legal qualifications and knowledge drawn from experiences at partner level in London. Hussein has extensive knowledge in all aspects of commercial property (buying and selling), leasing, commercial transactions and commercial litigation.
-
Rodrigo Sara
Solicitor and Trade Marks Attorney
Rodrigo joined Blueprint Law in 2007 and was admitted to practice in New South Wales later that year after completing his professional legal training. Having pursued an initial career path in scientific research, Rodrigo has a particular interest in intellectual property law and is currently undertaking Masters studies specialising in this area.
Rodrigo is also a Registered Trade Marks Attorney and presently manages the firm’s trade marks portfolio in addition to building experience across the firm’s areas of general commercial practice.
Email: rsara@blueprintlaw.com.au
-
Kate Davies
Consultant
Kate is a specialist entertainment lawyer who advises on a broad range of matters relating to film and television development, production, finance and distribution. She was previously a partner at the leading London-based entertainment law firm, Sheridans, and continues to work for Sheridans and a number of UK and international clients on a consultancy basis.
Kate’s practice is diverse: she acts for a range of talent (including authors, comedians, television presenters, writers, actors and illustrators) and talent agencies. Kate also represents a number of well-known television production companies and has been involved in advising on the legal aspects of the filming of a number of large scale events for television including the British Academy Film and Television Awards (BAFTAs).
Kate acts for owners and licensees on television format deals and has particular experience in advising on celebrity-driven formats. She has represented the interests of both brands and TV production companies on the commercial and regulatory aspects of advertiser funded programmes. She advises on all aspects of international co-production for film and television including official Treaty co-productions.
Kate has acted for both federations and broadcasters on a number of high profile sports rights deals for television, mobile and the internet including rugby, Gaelic football, hurling and cricket.
Recent films that Kate has been involved with include ‘City of Ember’, ‘Glastonbury’, ‘Amazing Grace’ and the new Mike Leigh film, ‘Happy Go Lucky’.
Examples of recent TV projects that Kate has advised on include ‘Rock Rivals’ (Shed Productions for ITV), ‘The Nokia Green Room’ (Whizz Kid Entertainment for Channel 4) and new kids TV series ‘Grandpa in My Pocket’ (Adastra Creative for BBC). Kate has also represented Debmar-Mercury International on the international licensing of the ‘Trivial Pursuit’ game show format.
Kate has a long standing involvement with Women in Film and Television in the UK. She was previously a board member and a member of the Events Committee and has run a number of legal workshops for the organisation.
Email: kdavies@blueprintlaw.com.au
-
Robert Laurie
Consultant
Robert has been a solicitor in private practice for forty years, practising in business and property law, concentrating particularly on complex documentation for superannuation funds (defined benefit and accumulation), advising in relation to superannuation and related insurance, administration and investment arrangements, investment trusts (listed, unlisted and overseas), insurance policies (life, unit-linked and general), corporations and associations, debenture and mortgage securities, and on trust and estate planning and tax implications. He has been involved in the management of superannuation funds and their investments for almost thirty years.
Robert has been a director of the trustee to the Legalsuper (Industry Fund) since February 2005, and is currently Chairman of the Audit & Compliance Committee and a Member of the Investment Committee and the Member & Employer Relations Committee. He was also a Director of the Law Industry Superannuation Trust (now LegalSuper) from October 1993 to February 2005 and Chairman from October 2000 to February 2005. He has been an active member of committees of the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (“ASFA”) continuously since 1987, including participating in negotiations with Federal & State Government Departments in relation to tax, duties and other legislative proposals and with insurers as to Trustee Liability Insurance Policies. He is a current member of Legal, Small Funds and Program Committees (NSW).
Robert was educated at Oxford University and originally admitted as a solicitor in England in 1969 and then admitted in New South Wales in 1973. He is a Fellow of the Taxation Institute of Australia and has been a member of the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees since 1997.
Robert was formerly a partner at the predecessor firms to Corrs Chambers Westgarth and at Bartier Perry in Sydney.
Email: rlaurie@blueprintlaw.com.au