Withers LLP

Media, reputation and privacy team.

Partner and head of UK media, reputation and privacy team.

Jo leads the media and reputation team at Withers in London. She has more than 20 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.  The credibility and reliability of information is currently in sharp focus and Jo advises clients in how to deal with fake, misleading or misinformation in all spheres including online searches, profiling information and due diligence and AI.  She led a major court case in relation to obtaining changes to historic archive news content that had become outdated.

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.

Jo was previously a news journalist and PR adviser.