Amongst our insurance lawyers, we have specialists who also advise in relation to defamation claims, managing reputational damage and actions for malicious falsehood. We act for insurers, insured clients, high-profile individuals and large public authorities in claims across sectors including aviation, construction, healthcare, local government, public bodies and all areas of the media.
We understand and advise on every aspect of defamation, including:
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Proof of adequate identification
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The specific merits of a defamation claim in the context of the publication medium
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Suitable defences, e.g. justification, substantial harm, honest comment and qualified privilege in matters of public interest/author responsibility
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Privacy issues
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Practical strategies for media reputation management
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Limitation periods and their complex requirements
Specific areas on which we advise include:
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Libel and slander
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Actions for malicious falsehood
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Reputation damage management
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Publication and privacy
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Harassment
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Cyber libel and risks
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Pre-publication and pre-broadcast
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Policy coverage
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Reviewing the current reform proposals and the judicial landscape
Work highlights
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Acting for the Defendants in McLaughlin & others v London Borough of Lambeth & Khan (2010). Following a strike-out application, the High Court ruled that the Derbyshire principle established by the House of Lords - by which a “governmental body” cannot sue for libel - did not prevent individual claimants from bringing a claim in their own name, or in respect of their personal Article 8 rights, simply because they were employed in the business of a governmental body. This case has refined the scope of Derbyshire in context of claims for breach of the right to privacy under Article 8.
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Defending a financial public relations company against a claim by a Premiership football club regarding publication regarding the actual level of debt held by the club.
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Acting for the principal director of a construction company in relation to a BBC Today (BBC TV) investigation into the company’s collapse.
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Providing reputation management advice to a hospital prior to the broadcast of an ITV investigation, which discovered the illegal sale by third parties in India of their patient’s medical records.
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Acted for an Arab publishing house in London, which published a daily newspaper and other publications. This involved dealing with numerous claims, including those by political dissidents, Arab celebrities etc.