Bio
Adam is a Director of the firm and heads the firms Dispute Resolution group. He was the Managing Director of the firm from 2007 to 2017 and has been with the firm since 1997. He has worked in London in a specialist media firm, in intellectual property barristers’ chambers, with a High Court judge, for a human rights organisation and at a multinational firm. He is also admitted as a barrister and solicitor in the High Court of New Zealand.
Achievements
Adam is ranked highly for his work in intellectual property and entertainment by major international legal press including Legal 500, Chambers and Best Lawyers.
Praise
“Adam Simpson’s expertise in the media space extends to cover an impressive range of sub-sectors, including book and digital publishing, games, music, and museums and galleries." - Chambers (international legal review guide)
"Well respected in the entertainment and artistic area" according to market sources, he is summed up by a client as follows: "He is always a rapid responder, listens carefully and seeks to understand what commercial outcome is desired before advising. He’s very collaborative to work with and has an excellent understanding of how our business operates, the needs of a creative industry and how best to navigate concerns, issues or claims. We very much value his advice and support." - Legal 500 (international legal review guide)
Representative work
Adam provides a wide range of commercial and dispute resolution advice in intellectual property, entertainment and arts matters.
Representative litigation includes:
Representing Netflix, Inc in Copyright Tribunal proceedings against Australasian Performing Right Association (ongoing)
Defending Kobalt Music in a copyright claim by Boomerang, APRA AMCOS and others in relation to the song Love Is In The Air;
Representing Federal Government agency, Screen Australia in various appeals to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (ongoing)
Representing Universal Music Publishing in copyright litigation against Clive Palmer relating to his unauthorised use of Twisted Sister’s song We’re Not Gonna Take It;
Advising the National Gallery of Australia in relation to multi-million dollar acquisitions, and successful foreign litigation in recovery from art fraud case in New York.
Defending national law firm Maurice Blackburn against claims by US State Street Global Advisors in relation to the Fearless Girl statue including trade mark, copyright, interference with contractual relations issues (lead lawyer Clare Young);
Representing major book publishers in Federal Court litigation in relation to copyright, contract and other matters;
Representing Australian publishers in the Google Books class action (at that time the largest class action in US history);
Representing Eight Mile Style, an owner of Eminem’s Lose Yourself hit, in copyright litigation in New Zealand against a political party.
Representing Larrikin Music in the Kookaburra Sits in The Old Gum Tree copyright and misleading or deceptive conduct case in the Federal Court, Full Federal Court and High Court of Australia.
Present roles
Executive Director & Management Committee, Simpsons Solicitors
Independent trustee of the Anindilyakwa Mining Trust, a large future fund for the traditional owners of the Groote Eylandt archipelago in the Northern Territory.
Director of the Anindilyakwa Royalties Aboriginal Corporation
Past roles
Advisory board of the Guardian Australia
Catalyst member of the Ethics Centre
Director of the Music Council of Australia
A director of Viscopy (collecting society for visual artists, now amalgamated with Copyright Agency Limited) as appointed by the National Association for the Visual Arts
Chair of the Contemporary Music Working Group (Federal Government/Music Industry liaison)
Prime Minister’s 2020 Summit
Federal Government’s Creative Australia Advisory Group.
Visiting lecturer at the University of Western Sydney.
