Defamation, Libel & Slander Law
Our IP & Media expertise covers the full ambit of Commercial and Individual Reputation Protection and Management. We utilise our expertise in intellectual property law to get the best result for our clients where media law issues and IP collide.
What is involved?
Your right to reputation is enshrined as a human right under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). It competes in equal measure with another’s right to freedom of expression, under Article 10 ECHR. The balancing act between these two rights underpins the law relating to reputation management in the UK.
Our dedicated IP & Media team are experts in advising on this balance of rights in any given scenario. Our expertise is nationwide and includes advice on all areas affecting reputation including defamation (libel and slander), trade libel (malicious falsehood), harassment, misuse of private information (breach of privacy), breach of confidence; and breach of your personal data under data protection legislation.
We provide a high quality, cost-efficient and solutions driven service aimed at managing and protecting your interests in this arena in accordance with your objectives.
We deal with both sides of the argument and act for claimants and defendants alike whether based in the UK or in a foreign jurisdiction. This provides us with a well-rounded expertise to help resolve your issue, whether that be through strategic pre or post publication advice and assistance or through dispute resolution.
Why choose our reputation protection, defamation & privacy team?
- We strongly believe that access to justice in the area of reputation should be for all members of the public, from all walks of life and diversity. We help individuals from the UK or abroad with high and low profiles in the sports, media and film industries to protect their rights. We also act for business owners, entrepreneurs, directors, politicians and religious leaders; and we also help students, employees, individuals without employment and the vulnerable with the management of their reputation. We are proud to say that our door is open to all in this specialist area.
- In line with our ethos, we offer flexible pricing plans where possible to help access to justice. In cases of dispute where the merits meet our criteria for offering ‘no win no fee’ type arrangements, and it is certain that your opponent would be able to meet a costs and damages order at the end of litigation, we are willing to consider offering a conditional fee agreement to help fund your case. Additionally, if the need arises in the course of litigation, we have excellent relationships with some of the UK’s top media law barristers including QCs willing to act on the same basis as us. In these instances, we also explore After The Event insurance options with you. More information about our reputation management costs may be found here.
- Because we are national firm and provide a nationwide service, our hourly rates are lower than average rates in the London City legal market for this area. This enables us to provide our clients with excellent value for money wherever they are based in the country.
We have solutions that deal with all aspects of print, broadcast and internet media affecting reputation.
We are particularly strong where the battleground is in the online sphere, and rights are at risk through publications or disclosures on the internet and the wild frontier of social media.
Our work includes all of the following areas:
- Print, broadcast and social media defamations
- Private information disclosed online
- Breaches of your personal and sensitive data
- Privacy intrusions including phone hacking
- Breaches of your image rights in photos and videos
- Revenge porn
- Name and shame websites
- Your ‘right to be forgotten’ and information erasure online
- International online issues and identifying the anonymous
- Online harassment and bullying
- Fake news concerning you
- Media intrusion and requests for comments
- Inaccurate press and broadcast reporting
Key contact
Simon Barker
Partner & Head of Intellectual Property
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Notable Work
- Advising a client in the entertainment industry on the defence of a defamation and breach of privacy action in relation to publications made on Facebook.
- Action against a councillor for defamations and malicious falsehoods made against his opponent (our client) during the course of an election campaign.
- Strike-out of a defamation claim arising from online publications on review websites for abuse of process and lack of jurisdiction.
- Obtaining an ex-parte interim injunction in the High Court for a client against a television personality for breach of privacy on social media (Facebook and Twitter) and in an online autobiography sold on the Amazon website.
- Advising an individual in a complaint against the National Probation Service for breach of confidence and breach of privacy.
- Advising an individual in a complaint against a regional Police force for libel, breach of privacy and breach of personal data by publication on the force’s social media, including Facebook page and Youtube channel, leading to widespread national print and online media coverage.
- Devising and implementing a strategy for the takedown and erasure of revenge porn material disclosed by an anonymous individual on a ‘name and shame’ website hosted by a foreign entity.
- Advising a client on her freedom of expression rights in a publication on the change.org website, in defence of a defamation action.
- Advising a managing director in the sports retail industry on his online harassment by a former rogue employee.
"They provide us with measured advice in an understandable manner. The team has exceeded our expectations with their responsiveness."
Chambers & Partners, 2024
Our accreditations
We are celebrating another year of accreditations and rankings.
Meet our team
Simon Barker
Partner & Head of Intellectual Property
Will Richmond-Coggan
Partner
Contact us today
Whatever your legal needs, our wide ranging expertise is here to support you and your business, so let’s start your legal journey today and get you in touch with the right lawyer to get you started.
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