The Legal 500

Position

Specialises in media, entertainment and sports law, particularly defamation, privacy; commercial breach of confidence; sports disciplinary matters. Libel cases of note include: Mohammed Al Fayed v Vanity Fair (1995-97); Jonathan Aitken v Granada and The Guardian (1997); Jessye Norman’s claim over a joke (1999); who composed the James Bond theme tune (Monty Norman v Times, 2001); were the police incompetent for arresting the Hamiltons for rape (Miller v Associated Newspapers, 2005) and was Cardinal Murphy O’Connor’s spokesman a hypocrite (2008-09). Other media litigation has included: Norfolk v Webster (2006) and other cases about injunctions granted by the Family Division; disputes over publishing contracts; the contempt case arising from the Leeds footballers’ trial (2002); and judicial review of the decision to hold the foot and mouth inquiry in private (2002). Commercial confidence work has included the ‘whistleblower’ case of In re a Company (1989) and Imutran v Uncaged Campaigns (2001). Privacy claims include: Paddy Ashdown (1992); the Duchess of York and her financial adviser (1993); police statements of Robert Maxwell’s finance Director (Bunn v BBC, 1998); for Mirror Group against Naomi Campbell (2002), Lord Ashcroft in privacy claims against government (2003); Mail on Sunday against Prince of Wales (2006); photo agency v JK Rowling (2008); News of the World against Max Mosley (2008). Sports law work includes representing the horseracing regulator in disciplinary cases from 1995 to date. This includes High Court cases against jockey Graham Bradley (2004-05), trainer Willie Mullins (2005-06) and jockeys Kieren Fallon (2006) and Dean McKeown (2009).

Career

Called 1981, Gray’s Inn; Gray’s Inn advocacy trainer since 2000; QC 2002; Recorder 2009; early practice was a mix of media and mercantile/commercial work, including commercial arbitration; was a night lawyer for several national groups (Mirror, Times, Today, Observer); wrote a regular column for ‘Small Business Review’; editor and author of ‘The Law of Privacy and the Media’ 2nd ed (OUP 2011). Regularly speaks on privacy law, other media topics and sports law. Appointed to Premier League panel of arbitrators (2008) and appointed to FAPL and FA arbitrations.

Languages

French.

Member

Association of Disciplinary and Regulatory Lawyers; British Association for Sport and Law.

Education

Bristol Grammar School; St John’s College, Oxford (MA Jurispridence; scholar).

Leisure

Tennis, surfing, guitar, Butterfly Tennis Club, Crackington Haven Tennis and Surf Clubs.

Practice Areas

Defamation and privacy; Professional disciplinary and regulatory law (including police law); Sport