Defamation
& Privacy
Reputation and creative freedom lie at the heart of the industries we serve. Our Defamation & Privacy team work with creators, publishers, talent and corporates to manage and protect their reputation both pre and post publication. With over two decades experience advising across film, television, music, digital and publishing, we bring practical insight and commercial clarity to every matter.
Our team of highly experienced defamation and privacy lawyers guide clients through complex reputational issues, with clear sensible, robust and tailored advice. Whether preventing publication risks, defending content, or responding to media intrusion, our focus is on achieving swift and effective resolutions.
Our depth of our experience in the world of published content and reputational issues representing the varied interests of our clients, whether a mainstream creator, publisher of content, a high-profile individual or a large corporate suddenly exposed to media glare, ensures that advice is grounded and actionable.
Practical and Strategic Defamation and Privacy Law Advice
We are embedded in the creative industries, advising at every stage of production from concept to broadcast or publication. Our pre-publication clearance and compliance advice spans documentaries, “true story” dramatisations, scripted drama, autobiographies, advertisements and other media content.
We provide our creative clients with practical and workable solutions to their content-related issues, and our in-depth industry knowledge gives us insight into what will prove acceptable insurers, regulators, distributors or otherwise.
Resolving Disputes and Protecting Reputation
Our team acts for both media defendants and claimants giving us a unique perspective to matters on both sides. We represent clients in High Court and Court of Appeal and regularly resolve claims through mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.
Our client base includes mainstream broadcasters, streamers, all the main E&O insurance companies, TV production companies, advertising agencies, book publishers as well as high profile individuals from politics, music, film and television.
We also provide critical support for individuals under intense media scrutiny, frequently working closely with management teams and PR agencies to help clients manage public perception and media coverage in high-stakes situations.
Managing Privacy in a Digital World
Reputation management is increasingly about prevention. We advise on issues ranging from phone and cyber hacking to removing unwanted content from the internet, helping clients respond effectively to unauthorised publication, misuse of private information, or social media exposure.
Our recent work highlights include:
- Defending a streamer in a high profile defamation and privacy claim brought by a person featured in a documentary which it broadcast.
- Defending Channel 5 in respect of a number of privacy claims brought by individuals featured in episodes of the programme “Can’t Pay? We’ll Take it Away”.
- Successfully defending former Deputy Chairman of the Conservative party, Lee Anderson MP, in a libel claim arising from a Facebook post.
- Acting for Yoko Ono in a privacy claim against Associated Newspapers, arising out of their publication of photographs of Yoko’s private residence.
- Acting for Maria Church in a claim against News Group Newspapers with respect to phone hacking and unlawful news gathering at the Sun newspaper.
SPECIALIST AREAS
Court proceedings, mediation and alternative dispute resolution
Content risk management
Defending defamation, privacy and misuse of private information
Event production and experiential agreements
High-profile media disputes and crisis response
IT, technology and software agreements
Media intrusion, phone and cyber hacking
Online content removal and digital reputation protection
Procurement and transitional services agreements
Reputation management for creators, talent and corporates
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