Specialist Music/Creative Industries Lawyer

Photograph by Alison Surtees

I provide specialist legal and business affairs support to a broad range of creative and digital businesses which are reliant upon the intellectual property (IP) they produce.

I have experience of acting for music businesses and individuals, fashion brands, communication, advertising and design agencies, digital and technology businesses and gaming, film and TV production companies advising on a broad range of commercial and IP matters largely relating to the commercialisation and protection of clients’ IP.

I have considerable experience in music law and advise musicians, music managers, producers, festivals and independent record labels and publishers on a broad range of legal issues including contractual matters e.g. recording, publishing and management contracts.

I offer legal and business affairs support on a one-off contract basis as well as acting for clients on a longer-term basis, advising on a wide array of legal and business affairs matters affecting creative and digital businesses, including copyright, trade marks, design rights, confidential information and contract law issues, limitation of liability, brand protection and choice of trading vehicle.

FEES Where possible I will provide my services on a fixed fee basis so you have certainty as to the cost at the start.

Please note that I am an SRA regulated independent solicitor providing my services via Isherwood Legal Limited. Isherwood Legal Limited is not however a firm of solicitors regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Prior to becoming a lawyer, I was the lead singer and a songwriter in ‘Pullover’.

We had two record deals, released 4 singles, recorded an album and did 2 UK tours including an appearance at Reading Festival. I have included a link to one of our singles which was on The Chart Show (number 7):

Sadly, Pullover stopped performing when we got into a copyright dispute with the second record label we signed to, which was undergoing a hostile takeover bid. This meant we were stuck in limbo unable to release any records pending resolution. We sought expert legal advice at the time but were told there was nothing we could do. After lying down heartbroken for a while, I subsequently worked in music PR and for a music management company and whilst there set out on a mission to become a music lawyer with a view to making sure what happened to my band did not happen to anyone else.

I set up independentLY in 2019.

Prior to that, I worked in private practice for 10+ years and was recognised as a next generation lawyer by the Legal 500 2019. For five years between May 2014 and 2019, I was an associate and the firm’s music law expert in Shoosmiths’ Creative Industries team. The team gained a Tier 1 ranking for Media and Entertainment in the Legal 500 and was shortlisted for UK law firm of the year in the Music Week Awards 2018 and 2019. I joined Shoosmiths from Ward Hadaway where I had worked for the previous 4 years. Whilst at Ward Hadaway the firm obtained a Tier 2 ranking for Media and Entertainment in the Legal 500. I previously worked at Eversheds in its core commercial team and at a small firm in Manchester which provided music law services.

As well as advising on contractual matters e.g. management agreements, recording and publishing agreements, I also successfully acted in a large number of high value cases including music manager disputes, band partnership disputes and copyright infringement claims.

I am a regular speaker at music industry events and have been the legal representative at several Music Managers Forum induction days and a panellist at Liverpool Sound City, Louder Than Words Festival, FAC/CMU:DIY Artist Entrepreneur Days and at events organised by the PRS, the University of Salford, Manchester Creative Collective and Indie Music Matters. I have also provided music law lectures at BIMM, Leeds College of Music and LIPA and I am a Liverpool Sound City board member.

[Carol Isherwood has] outstanding technical knowledge and fantastic attention to detail.

Legal 500 2019. Media and Entertainment.
I was the firm’s music law expert at Shoosmiths which was shortlisted for law firm of the year in the Music Week Awards 2018 and 2019.

[Carol Isherwood has a] wealth of experience in protecting intellectual property, in whichever forms this takes.

Legal 500 2019.
Intellectual Property.

We were very impressed with the attentiveness and attention to detail demonstrated by Carol Isherwood. The legal services we required ranged from negotiating a production deal with a US company to drafting a management agreement for one of our new artists. Carol delivered exactly what we required, showing an impressive level of legal expertise, approachability and professionalism across the board.

Ross Leslie, Consolidated Artists (whose roster includes Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, Bernie Marsden (UFO and Whitesnake), Steve Lukather (TOTO))

Carol was recommended to me by established music industry professionals and since working with her I have found her to be extremely approachable, forward thinking and commercial, as well as having superb technical knowledge. With her advice, guidance and expertise I have been able to successfully navigate the choppy waters of the music business. Myself, The Orielles and Working Men’s Club are deeply grateful for her patience and care. I cannot recommend Carol highly enough.

Damian Morgan, Mango Management
(whose roster includes The Orielles, Working Men’s Club, Julia Bardo)

We started the label 5 years ago and have used Carol Isherwood to provide legal services ever since. She has drafted all our agreements, advised on our deal with Warner and it’s great to know that she’s always at the end of the phone to deal with licensing and other queries, allowing us to concentrate on running a successful, expanding label.

Neville Skelly, MD Skeleton Key Records
(whose roster includes She Drew The Gun, The Coral, Sundowners).

Carol’s advice has proved invaluable and I know that I am in safe hands. But more than that, it’s great to be able to work with other women in such a male dominated music industry.

Lesley Gilbert
Partner, Fractured Music

Carol is an expert in IP and protecting an artist's rights. She doesn’t regurgitate contracts; each is tailored to the project in hand. Very good at protecting future interests that may not be transparent at the time. Never too much trouble to pick up the phone and discuss things. Genuinely cares about the artists she represents.

Ali Hudson
Manager of Joe Duddell (whose collaborations include New Order, Elbow, The Charlatans).

I have worked with Carol Isherwood for several years. As a producer it’s reassuring to know that my legal matters are being dealt with by an industry expert who I can trust.

Jim Spencer, Producer (Johnny Marr, The Vaccines, The Cribs, New Order)

After 18 months of struggling to deal with a situation alone, I enlisted the help and expertise of Carol Isherwood. I'm so glad I did. Carol helped me to take the emotion out of the issue and deal with it is as purely a business matter. With business not being my strong point, I was happy to let Carol speak on my behalf. Her legal knowledge and experience soon became apparent when she swiftly and professionally dealt with the matter, obtaining a better outcome for me than I had ever imagined. I also found Carol to be very thorough when it came to drawing up the contract between myself and the other party. She always found time to explain the jargon to me and had lots of patience. Carol took me through the process and explained my options to me every step of the way so that I always felt in control of the situation. I would highly recommend Carol Isherwood to any creative person who thinks they may need legal representation.

Shari Denson – Band and Music Photographer