Izzy Abidi

Izzy, with a background in anthropology and law, began her journey in media law at the BBC and The Independent in 2007 before qualifying at Eversheds Sutherland in 2012. She has held various international in-house roles focusing on licensing, distribution, development, brand partnerships, and co-productions. Starting in software licensing at SAS, she moved to Orbit Showtime Network (OSN)’s legal team responsible for exclusive MENA broadcast deals with Disney and HBO for flagship titles like Game of Thrones and working with global IPs such as WWE and the James Bond franchise. At OSN, Izzy founded ASLI Studios as Executive Producer before spending six years at Netflix as a Business and Legal Affairs executive. At Netflix, she led dealmaking for MENA’s original fiction and non-fiction content, providing strategic advice and overseeing commercial agreements from script-to-screen.

In June 2024, she joined Reviewed and Cleared as a Business Affairs Consultant, as well as to integrate MENA’s creative industries with R&C's expertise.

Izzy has dedicated her career to storytelling, building bridges for organisations to connect with global regions, especially in Asia, and advocating for underrepresented cultures in the legal and entertainment industries. She has worked in Abu Dhabi, Los Angeles, Istanbul, North Carolina, London, Amsterdam, and Dubai, and was named a top media lawyer by ACC’s 2022 global 30s list. She founded Freshly Ground Sounds, MENA’s first original live music business, and launched global initiatives like the Creative Couch and The Business of Storytelling to democratise industry knowledge. Recently certified as a coach, Izzy runs Freshly Ground Stories, partnering with a global network of writers, producers, and artists to provide deal-making, strategic commercial advice, and coaching on topics such as writer’s block and career transitions. She fuels her creativity through music, writing, surfing, and engaging with the international community, splitting her time between Europe, the UK, UAE, and KSA.