Defamation

 

We have one of the country’s leading defamation and privacy law practices, headed by Ian Hemingway. 

Over the last decade we have dealt with over 200 cases, including claims against the national and local press, and major broadcasters.  We have acted for high profile individuals including sports personalities, celebrities and politicians.

We provide specialist advice in areas including:

  • libel

  • slander

  • malicious falsehood

  • breach of privacy

  • reputation management

Examples of our defamation work include:

  • Successfully striking out defamation proceedings brought by a prominent politician against a town councillor alleging our client had branded him racist, an recovering substantial costs for our client

  • Securing a six figure payment and printed apology from the Daily Mirror after it wrongly branded our client a racist and Nazi sympathiser in a series of prominent articles, including on the front page

  • Recovering substantial damages and costs, with published apologies in 7 newspapers (including The Times, Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph) in a defamation claim by a close relative of a high profile celebrity

  • Successfully resolving a claim on good terms for a company, its chief executive and senior manager in defamation proceedings brought against them by a trade rival, claiming costs and damages of over £750,000, after making detailed representations with regard to the lack of serious harm/serious financial loss in the context of section 1 of the Defamation Act 2013

  • Achieving a six figure settlement from the ex-husband of individual in breach of privacy proceedings in a case which was widely reported in the national press, after private conversations were recorded by the ex-husband

  • Obtaining a substantial payment for a defendant in proceedings involving a super injunction and alleging defamation committed by our client and others

  • Recovering a five figure sum and an apology broadcast on air from ITV for a client whose company’s premises were wrongly featured in an ITV news report on a drugs cartel