Top 20 European law firm SJ Berwin is to close its four-partner UK media division. The teamspecialises in media asset finance work.

The closure of the media division will affect ten staff comprising four-partners, three associates and three secretaries. The partners are Tim Johnson who heads up the team, Sarah Bing, Charlotte McMillan and Nigel Palmer.

A spokesperson for SJ Berwin told ScreenDaily that the firm decided to close the media team, which specialises in media asset finance work, because 'film finance was not one of the core practice areas'.

Work undertaken by the group includes slate financing of studio pictures; acting as production counsel on films with budgets ranging from US$10 million to US$100 million; and the structuring of independently financed international co-productions and British films.

The spokesperson saidmedia workwould now be carried out through the commercial department, the wider media and technology departments and the EU and competition department.