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Legal Support Built for the People Who Bring Stories to Life.

The lawyer who knows what it’s like to be on the other side of the contract.

WordSmith Legal was founded by Renee Smith, a lawyer with over 9 years of post-qualification experience and a genuine passion for the publishing world.

Renee’s path into this niche is a little unconventional, and that’s exactly what makes WordSmith Legal different. A few years ago, she began working as a fiction editor alongside her legal career and it didn’t take long to notice a significant gap in the market.

THE GAP WE'RE FILLING

Legal services designed for the whole
publishing industry.

Authors have some excellent specialist organisations in their corner, like Arts Law and Authors Legal, which do important work in that space. But publishing is a team effort. Behind every book are editors, proofreaders, designers, illustrators, literary agents and other creative professionals, all working under contracts that shape who owns what, who gets paid and who carries the risk.

Yet very few law firms focus on the publishing industry as a whole. Outside the support available to authors, most publishing professionals are left with generalist firms that don’t understand how the industry works: the contracts, the relationships, and the ways creative work gets made and shared. And because everyone’s work is so interconnected, advice that only sees one side of the industry can miss the bigger picture.

WordSmith Legal exists to fill that gap. We’re a law firm dedicated to the whole publishing industry, bringing deep legal expertise and genuine industry knowledge to everyone who brings stories to life, from authors and publishers to the freelancers working alongside them.

 

 

Our Values

Clarity

We believe legal advice should be easy to understand, not harder.

Relevance

Everything we offer is tailored to the publishing industry. No generic advice.

Integrity

We’ll always give you an honest picture of your situation and your options.

Accessibility

Good legal support shouldn’t be out of reach for independent creatives and small businesses.

FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL LAWYER

Meet Renee Smith

Renee has over 9 years of post-qualification legal experience, with expertise spanning Contract Law, Corporate Law, Copyright Law and Intellectual Property.

She is also a practising fiction editor, which gives her a rare dual perspective in every client engagement. Renee knows what it looks like when a contract doesn’t fairly represent a creative professional’s contribution, and she knows how to fix it.

Her mission with WordSmith Legal is simple: to make quality legal support accessible, understandable and relevant for the people who power the publishing industry.

Ready to get the legal side sorted?

Whether you need tailored legal advice or a ready-to-use template, WordSmith Legal is here to help.

Get in Touch