Former Gleam Futures COO joins Lewis Silkin as partner

A highly regarded figure in the entertainment, talent and content creator ecosystem, Phil has held leadership roles including as director of legal and commercial strategy, and then COO, of Gleam Futures – the world’s first specialist influencer talent agency - and is founder and CEO of the Digital Creator Association.

Phil began his career in marketing and communications before retraining and qualifying as a lawyer with Lewis Silkin in 2011. He returns to the firm as a partner having joined Gleam, a client of the firm, in 2014, working as a key member of its leadership team and helping to grow the agency into a multimillion-pound business before its eventual sale to Dentsu. Phil went on to found a commercial, legal and strategic advisory consultancy supporting brands and creators in the media and talent industry.

A specialist in intellectual property, commercial contracts and regulation, Phil advises talent, talent managers, media entities, brands and agencies across the creative, production and distribution lifecycle – including providing broader commercial, strategic and operational advice founded on almost three decades of experience in the creative economy.

With Phil’s appointment, Lewis Silkin’s Digital, Commerce and Creative team now comprises 13 partners advising some of the world’s most dynamic and fast-growing enterprises ranging from household name brands to cutting edge disruptors. Phil also joins and will support Eleven, Lewis Silkin’s advisory arm for media and technology businesses.

Jo Farmer, joint managing partner at law firm Lewis Silkin said: “I am hugely excited to be welcoming Phil, as a Lewis Silkin alumnus, back to the firm and to the partnership. He was an early pioneer in the field of influencer talent management and broader digital media law, and his work has contributed to these fields becoming essential components of the creative economy. Having developed and commercialised successful brands himself, Phil brings real strategic and operational insight as well as a passion for innovation born out of building a fast growth startup.  His arrival will further strengthen our Ideas practice and bolster our reputation as the leading adviser for creative, innovative and tech-enabled businesses.”

Phil Hughes, partner at Lewis Silkin, added: “As both a former employee and former client of Lewis Silkin, coming back to the firm was an easy decision to make. The people here have a real passion for what they do and a genuine focus on finding the best, most commercial solutions for clients. This culture is what makes the firm the perfect partner for creative, innovative brands, talent and enterprises, who are operating at the forefront of their industries and need advisers that understand their pressures and potential, and bring more to the table than simply black letter law. I’m looking forward to working with Jo and the wider team as we deliver on that promise and continue to help our clients succeed.”