Defamation and Privacy 1
Living in the public eye can carry a significant burden. Whether you seek the limelight or prefer an amount of privacy, journalists searching for drama can permanently harm your reputation. But contrary to popular belief this area of the law is not restricted to 'celebrities'. The same dangers apply to private individuals who find themselves being attacked by jealous or malicious 'friends' or, commonly, colleagues. They apply equally to companies spanning every industry – especially those who provide services to the consumer – and the reputational loss in these instances can be more severe.
Our Reputation Management Group assists companies spanning a wide range of industries and individuals from all walks of life – from those in the film, television, music and fashion industries to royalty, politicians, senior business professionals and entrepreneurs. Our expertise covers defamation (libel & slander); protection of privacy and breach of confidence.
We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – acting quickly if defamatory material has been, or is about to be, published against you. We can secure emergency injunctions against publishers, negotiate settlements or advise on the best course of action if your privacy or confidence has been breached.
If disputes cannot be settled through negotiation, our litigators will represent your interests in Court. We tenaciously defend the reputations and rights of our clients.
For further information about our services or to discuss a particular matter or situation, please contact James Libson on +44 (0)20 7440 7132 or by email.
Work Highlights
We have acted for:
- High profile traders in relation to reputational issues suffered by banks in the fall-out from the credit crunch;
- A prominent MP regarding privacy issues;
- A major art collector in relation to the reputation of his multi-million pound art collection;
- Shareholders, on one of the largest flotations in Africa, in relation to governance and reputation issues;
- A major mining company, Oryx Natural Resources, in legal action against the BBC. Oryx obtained a record apology and record compensation;
- Deborah Lipstadt against holocaust denier David Irving (dubbed as "The Case of the Century" by the media);
- Princess Diana - concerning all aspects of her relationship with the press, particularly, privacy issues;
- Robert Maxwell – both privately and in connection with his newspaper publication companies.