Jo Sanders > Withers LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile
Withers LLP Offices

20 Old Bailey
LONDON
EC4M 7AN
England
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Jo Sanders

Work Department
Media, reputation and privacy team.
Position
Partner and head of UK media, reputation and privacy team.
Jo joined Withersworldwide in 2019 to lead the media and reputation team in London. She has 15 years’ experience of looking after the reputation and privacy of some of the world’s most well-known individuals and businesses.
Described as ‘calm and insightful’, Jo advises clients whenever sensitive information or reputation is at risk. She assists clients who become the subject of press attention and who want to ensure that stories are accurate and fairly put together. This can be achieved via legal engagement with the media before publication, commonly in tandem with communications advisers. Jo helps clients who face challenges over the use of information in high profile contexts, such as Select Committee or public inquiries, media reporting on high-profile litigation or misuse of information online or in breach of confidence.
The other central part of her work is contentious data protection advice, acting for data controllers or individuals in respect of complex subject access rights, data breach and complaints.
For individuals she also advises on privacy, blackmail threats or harassment. Recently she has helped clients who wished to avoid publicity of details of their home and removal of untrue and malicious content online.
Career
Jo was previously a news journalist and PR adviser.
Lawyer Rankings
London > Public sector > Education: institutions
With particular strength in charity law, Withers LLP‘s education team advises a range of higher and further education institutions on issues such as US-UK dual qualified charitable structures, data protection, regulatory, employment, immigration, and governance. Practice head Philip Reed‘s broad charity law practice includes a range of matters, including governance and strategic advice. Chris Priestley leads the wider charities and philanthropy team at the firm and is adept in national and international commercial projects. Consultant Alison Paines
specialises in assisting education charities; and Hugh More advises on contentious and non-contentious employment matters, while Jo Sanders
is contact for all aspects of reputation and privacy law.
London > TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Reputation management
(Hall of Fame)Withers LLP‘s media and reputation practice regularly works with international corporates, charities, and HNWIs, particularly in the art, entertainment, and sports sectors. Highlighted for its ‘excellent legal knowledge’, the ‘strongly practical’ and ‘professional’ team specialises in defamation, breach of confidence, and data protection cases. Co-led by Jo Sanders in London and Amber Melville-Brown in New York, the team offers robust expertise in privacy, blackmail, and harassment matters, often collaborating with the firm’s white-collar crime specialists. Caroline Thompson regularly engages with the media on behalf of her clients at the pre and post-publication stage.
Lawyer Rankings
- Hall of Fame London > TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Reputation management
- Reputation management London > TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Education: institutions London > Public sector
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Private client > Agriculture and estates
- Private client > Charities and not-for-profit
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: mid-market
- Private client > Contentious trusts and probate
- Private client > Court of protection
- Private client > Family
- Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Employment > Senior executives
Firm Rankings
- Private client > Art and cultural property
- Private client > Family: mediation
- Employment > Immigration: personal
- Corporate and commercial > M&A: Smaller Deals, £10m-£100m
- Dispute resolution > Public international law
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Reputation management
- Real estate > Residential property
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- Corporate and commercial > Venture capital
- Public sector > Education: institutions
- Public sector > Education: schools
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: contentious
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: civil
- Employment > Immigration
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms
- Employment > Employers
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: white-collar crime (advice to individuals)
- Insurance > Professional negligence
- Risk advisory > Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates)