Alex Hannell is the head of our London office, and of The Business and Legal Affairs Group at our India subsidiary, SDD Global Solutions. In that capacity, he manages a wide array of business affairs & legal services for media companies. Before joining SmithDehn LLP, Alex distinguished himself in the international media and entertainment business, where he was Head of Commercial Affairs for Granada International, the worldwide arm of one of the U.K.’s largest companies, Granada Media Group (now ITV). Alex is also a veteran of one of the most pre-eminent London-based law firms, Herbert Smith LLP and Australian niche intellectual property/technology firm Bonnins, where he was Solicitor in the Media & Intellectual Property Group. From 2002 until joining us in 2008, Alex developed his own prestigious roster of film and television distribution clients, handling business affairs and related legal matters for such companies as Warner Brothers, So Television, Talkback Thames, Filmon and countless others. Alex’s professional memberships have included the British Television Distributors Association and the Royal Television Society. He holds an honours degree in law and a degree in commerce with a finance major and was admitted to practice in the High Court of Australia in 1995. He has lectured at university on subjects such as Artists and the Law and Technology and the Law. His fields of expertise include negotiating and drafting all manner of transactions for the U.S., U.K and international television and motion picture industry, handling all aspects of film and television distribution and financing, and managing international content acquisitions and licensing.