Hoyts is the largest single-brand movie exhibitor in Australia and New Zealand, and one of the world’s leading entertainment companies. Hoyts has been a trusted brand for Australian cinema-goers for over 100 years, and continues to deliver cutting-edge visual experiences to hundreds of thousands of Australians, on 430 screens across the nation. Hoyts is owned by Wanda Film Holding, China’s largest private sector cinema operator, which is listed on the Shenzhen stock exchange.

Edwards + Co has provided legal advice to the Hoyts’ group for over 3 years, working particularly closely with the cinema technology group under a value-led model. Amongst the many matters we have worked on with Hoyts are:

• Negotiation of key contracts for Hoyts’ network operations in Australia and New Zealand, including with Telstra and Optus for wholesale network acquisition arrangements for the successful connection and operation of cinema sites;
• Negotiation, resolution and documentation of matters with respect to fixed and mobile network contracts, to support the Hoyts’ network of cinemas in Australia and overseas;
• Ongoing, project-based advice regarding key vendor and procurement agreements with software and other vendors, and negotiation and drafting of formal legal documentation, including deeds;
• Data and privacy compliance with respect to the education of key staff and the organisation generally re compliance with new data and privacy laws in Australia and overseas, including the GDPR of the EU, and compliance with the new Notifiable Data Breach Scheme in Australia. This has included workshops and an ongoing program of work.