A highly experienced dispute resolution lawyer advising businesses and individuals across the creative industries particularly the music industry and also with a broad commercial litigation practice. Known for his strategic and commercial approach to resolving disputes relating to specialist industry-specific contracts, intellectual property, torts and shareholder/director disputes. Martyn has a long history of success for both claimants and defendants in court proceedings.
Martyn has more than 25 years’ experience in successfully resolving disputes for clients in a diverse range of industries. He has particular expertise in the music industry, and advises clients in the sport, film, television and art industries. Martyn is also an experienced commercial litigator with clients in investment, private equity, financial services, and professional services.
Martyn handles disputes on a wide range of legal issues including specialist industry contracts and copyright, trade mark and passing off, including online IP matters. He is experienced in professional negligence (including against auditors, accountants and tax advisors) and in shareholder, director and partnership disputes. He also advises on regulatory issues.
Martyn has extensive court experience in representing claimants and defendants in all divisions of the High Court, the County Court and the Court of Appeal. He is an experienced and successful trial lawyer with recent trials including successfully defending a contractual claim for AVIC UK and obtaining a court order compelling Sunningdale Golf Club to readmit a former member in 2019 and an order compelling the Royal Mid Surrey Golf Club to readmit Rina Rohilla in 2025. He has successfully obtained interim injunctions (including for NMTV Limited) and defended such applications. He is experienced in arbitration, adjudication, the Copyright Tribunal and regularly resolves disputes using mediation.
Martyn’s music practice is widely respected, representing record labels including Polydor, Island, Decca and [PIAS], music publishers including Universal Music Publishing, B-Unique and Spirit Music Group and artists such as Joe Walsh of The Eagles. In 2021, Martyn successfully represented Steve Jones and Paul Cook of Sex Pistols in the widely reported trial of their claim against John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) to secure the use of music rights in the television series ‘Pistol’; The Times named Martyn as its ‘Lawyer of the Week’ for this success.
In his sports practice Martyn represents clubs and athletes and has pursued many successful claims for re-admission and compensation for members who have been unfairly expelled from sports clubs (including golf clubs and tennis clubs) and other private members’ clubs.
Martyn heads the firm’s publishing group, advising authors, publishers and agents in relation to agreements and rights issues as well as disputes.
Martyn’s film and television practice includes UK and US film and television producers, distributors, financiers, agents, writers and actors, including GFM Films, SP Sales & Distribution, FilmOn TV, Tony Wood and John Noel Management.
In his commercial litigation practice, Martyn has successfully pursued claims for Melanion Capital, private equity firm Risk Capital Partners and Leventis Overseas Limited in an LCIA Arbitration. Martyn has a long track records of success in shareholder and partnership disputes and in relation to breach of director duties as well as professional negligence claims.
