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Dermot Patrick Desmond is an accomplished US and UK expert in media law, including contract drafting and negotiation, copyright and trademark issues, content review and compliance. Dermot regularly assists television and film clients in matters involving fair use/fair dealing, defamation, and the rights of privacy and publicity. He also works on UK media defence matters and helps resolve disputes. Most recently, he has been representing the BBC in a copyright dispute. He has done US and UK legal work for many of our film and TV clients, including All3Media, Plan B Entertainment, Passion Pictures, Raw TV, Lightbox, and Blast! Films, on projects for Discovery, Netflix, NatGeo, PBS, Channel 4, ITV, the BBC, and other networks and studios. In addition to his legal skills, Dermot brings a wealth of production experience in commercial television to SmithDehn, having performed extensive production work on programs for the BBC, Channel 4, NatGeo, Five, PBS and other major broadcasters. His employers have included major London-based media companies such as Endemol and Tiger Aspect. Dermot also has experience working in professional sports, as a Club Promotions Officer for the Football Association of Ireland, soccer’s governing body in Ireland. For the two years prior to joining SmithDehn, Dermot worked for 360 Production, an award-winning television and multi-platform content producer. Dermot regularly attends television and film industry conferences and markets such as MIPCOM, TIFF, Cannes, AFM, NAPTE, and Realscreen. Dermot received his law degree from Ireland's largest university, Ulster University, where he also completed our intensive US/UK media law course taught by the Chief Counsel of HBO, the General Counsel of Channel 4, top in-house lawyers at 20th Century Fox and the BBC, the former head of legal at Discovery, and leading members of SmithDehn LLP.