Ian Isaac Rosenblatt (born 2 November 1959) is a British

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

, senior partner of the business law firm Rosenblatt Group plc, and a supporter of charitable causes, notably in the field of

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

Early life and family

Rosenblatt was born in

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

to a businessman father and academic mother – sister of the well-known actors

Clive Swift Clive Walter Swift (9 February 1936 – 1 February 2019) was an English actor and songwriter. A classically trained actor, his stage work included performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company, but he was best known to television viewers for h ...

and David Swift – and was educated at

Liverpool College Liverpool College is a coeducational day and boarding school in Mossley Hill, Liverpool, England. It was one of the thirteen founding members of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, Headmasters' Conference. History Liverpool Coll ...

and the

London School of Economics and Political Science The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public university, public research university in London, England, and a member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the University ...

, where he studied

Law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

. He is a member of

The Law Society The Law Society of England and Wales (officially The Law Society) is the professional association that represents solicitors for the jurisdiction of England and Wales. It provides services and support to practising and training solicitors, as ...

. Rosenblatt has three grown-up children from his marriage to his late wife, Heather. In 2007 he married Emma Kane, Joint Chief Executive of International communications agency Porta Communications plc.

Career

On leaving university Ian Rosenblatt became an articled clerk at law firm Collyer Bristow, qualifying in 1983, and then joined media law firm Sheridans, where he became a partner in 1985. In 1989 he founded his own law firm in the City of London, Rosenblatt Solicitors, which has grown to over 100 staff handling business law in the UK and internationally. Rosenblatt Group plc floated on the London Stock Market on 8 May 2018. In August 2023, Rosenblatt Group became embroiled in a dispute with ex-Rosenblatt Group CEO Nicola Foulston. Rosenblatt was not on the board and not an employee at the time. In 2000, Rosenblatt co-founded the London-based corporate and financial communications agency Redleaf Polhill; its chief executive is his wife, Emma Kane. The agency was sold to Porta Communications plc in 2014. Kane was appointed Joint Chief Executive of Porta Communications plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, in April 2018.

Music

Rosenblatt established Rosenblatt Recitals in 1999, a series of opera recitals based in London. The first series launched in 2000. The Rosenblatt Recital Series ceased in 2017. In 2013, Rosenblatt became the owner of th
Les Aldrich Music Shop
an independent retailer in Muswell Hill, North London. Rosenblatt was appointed

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(OBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for philanthropic services to music.

Other charitable activities

Rosenblatt was a donor to the Labour Party under

Ed Miliband Edward Samuel Miliband (born 24 December 1969) is a British politician who has served as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero since July 2024. He has been Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for D ...

's leadership. In June 2023, ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'' accused Rosenblatt Group of working on behalf of a sanctioned Russian bank, VTB Capital. As a result, the Labour Party were initially set to return a donation from Rosenblatt. Rosenblatt Group was later revealed to have been acting for the administrators under a

UK Government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

licence with fees paid by the

Bank of England The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the Kingdom of England, English Government's banker and debt manager, and still one ...

. After an investigation, the Labour Party confirmed there had been no wrongdoing and stated it would not be returning the donation.

References

External links

Rosenblatt Recitals

Les Aldrich Music Shop

Branscombe Festival
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rosenblatt, Ian 1959 births Living people Labour Party (UK) donors Lawyers from Liverpool Officers of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Liverpool College