Set Profile > 5RB > London, England
5RB Offices
5RB
5 GRAY'S INN SQUARE
LONDON
WC1R 5AH
England
5RB > The Legal 500 Rankings
London Bar > Defamation and privacy Tier 1
The ‘first port of call for any defamation, privacy or data protection matter’, 5RB 's members represent high-profile clients on leading cases in the practice area. In Johnny Depp v News Group Newspapers, Adam Wolanski QC and Clara Hamer were part of the team that successfully defended NGN; Depp was refused permission to appeal by the Court of Appeal. Justin Rushbrooke QC and Jane Phillips acted for the claimant in Duchess of Sussex v Associated Newspapers, obtaining summary judgment against the Associated Newspapers for its misuse of a letter the Duchess sent to her father. In WM Morrison Supermarkets plc v Various Claimants, Jonathan Barnes QC represented the claimants before the Supreme Court appeal concerning the laws governing data protection and vicarious liability in the event of a mass data breach. In addition, Adrienne Page QC represented the claimant in the trial of liability and the continuing defamation case Lachaux v Independent Print Ltd & Evening Standard Ltd, which went to the Supreme Court in 2019 on the definition of "serious harm".Rising stars
Leading Silks
2020 Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘5RB is at the top of the media law bar. They are highly specialised, and always have counsel available.’
‘5RB is excellent. Amazing strength in depth. Without doubt the go-to set for defamation and privacy work but also for any case in the media and communications list.’
‘Definitely, the leading media and communications set. Just miles above the others. ‘
‘Unquestionably the top defamation set .’
‘5RB is a fantastic set with some of the finest legal minds. They are at the forefront of the industry and continue to impress across all areas.’
Clerking
‘The 5RB clerks are absolutely stellar – responsive, friendly, knowledgeable. ‘
‘Very strong. Andrew Love, Jamie Clack, Georgina Gills and Olivia Smith are all brilliant.’
‘Antony Braeger is very attentive and quick to respond.’
‘Andrew Love is the best head clerk that I have ever come across. Jamie Clack and Antony Braeger are very effective and the whole team is efficient and their speed of response is second to none.’
‘The clerks at 5RB are commercially minded, attentive, and never fail to deliver an excellent service.’
London Bar > Data protection Tier 2
‘Without doubt the “go-to” set for cases in the media and communications list’, 5RB has ‘firmly established itself as a critical port of call for the most complex and high profile defamation and data protection advice’. Jonathan Barnes QC - a 2021 Silk appointment - recently acted for various claimants in the Supreme Court against Morrisons, concerning the issue of vicarous liability after an internal auditor published the company's payroll records online. Jonathan Scherbel-Ball recently acted for Google and was successful in striking out a claim against it that related to alleged data protection breaches relating to international data transfers. Justin Rushbrooke QC, who is ‘highly intellectual in his approach’, acted for the Duchess of Sussex in her privacy, copyright and data protection claim against the Mail on Sunday.
Leading Silks
2020 Silks
2021 Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set:
‘They are highly specialised, and always have counsel available’.
‘Definitely the leading media and communications set’.
‘5RB have great strength in all areas of media law including data protection’.
‘Unrivalled strength in depth’.
‘5RB is firmly established as a critical port of call for the most complex and high profile defamation and data protection advice’.
Clerking:
‘The 5RB clerks are absolutely stellar – responsive, friendly and knowledgeable’.
‘The team are all very personable and helpful’.
‘The clerks are the best and most approachable that I have worked with’.
‘The clerks are extremely responsive, helpful and friendly’.
‘Very accessible, and always have been’.
London Bar > Media and entertainment (including art and cultural property) Tier 3
‘Very well-known for media and entertainment matters’, the experienced barristers at 5RB advise high-profile celebrities and media outlets in high-profile cases such as Johnny Depp v News Group Newspapers. For example, recently, Chloe Strong successfully represented the television personality and former mixed martial artist Alex Reid in Reid v KM Media Ltd, which concerned an allegation contained in an article published on Kent Online that he had hacked the mobile telephone of his ex-wife, the TV personality Katie Price. In addition, Justin Rushbrooke QC acted for the claimant in Duchess of Sussex v Associated Newspapers.
Media and entertainment - Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘5RB is very well known for media and entertainment matters. Its conference rooms are of a high standard and are accessible. When we needed an additional junior, they were quick to provide options at competitive rates.’
Clerking
‘The general service from the clerks was excellent. Andrew Love was extremely approachable and accessible. Jamie Clack provided excellent support.’
London Bar > Sport
Leading Juniors
5RB > Set Profile
5RB is widely acknowledged and respected as a leading set specialising in media, entertainment and information law, in particular, defamation, privacy, breach of confidence, malicious falsehood, contempt of court, data protection, reporting restrictions and harassment.
The set: There are presently 33 members, including eight silks and one Australian SC. Members of chambers have wide experience in all divisions of the High Court and in the appellate courts. They also appear regularly in the criminal and family courts, usually in reporting restrictions matters, and before domestic tribunals, such as OFCOM and the ICO. Chambers regularly receives instructions from overseas. Most members of 5RB undertake public access work. In addition to litigation, members of chambers provide pre-publication advice, usually to newspapers, book publishers, media organisations, public authorities and companies.
Types of work undertaken: 5RB enjoys a pre-eminent reputation in cases where there is or may be a clash between freedom of expression and other rights. Members of chambers specialise in defamation, malicious falsehood, privacy, breach of confidence, contempt of court, reporting restrictions, data protection, harassment, blackmail and other related causes of action. They are regularly called upon to advise in cases of publication online and on social media, particularly where the identity of a publisher is unknown, and to seek disclosure or apply for Norwich Pharmacal orders. Some members of chambers specialise across a broader spectrum of media, entertainment, IP and sports law, including copyright, passing off, broadcasting regulatory work and sports tribunal work. Recent cases include: PJS v News Group Newspapers (SC); Coventry v Lawrence (SC); OPO v MLA (SC); Pinar-Byrne v Linton (PC); Gulati and ors v MGN (Mirror phone-hacking) (CA); Weller v ANL (CA); Murray v ANL (CA); Lachaux v Independent Print Ltd; Sobrinho v Impresa; Yeo v Times Newspapers Ltd; The News Group phone-hacking litigation; AMC v KLJ; Lokhova v Tymula; Axon v Ministry of Defence; Burrell v Clifford; Theedom v Nourish Training; Cheshire West v Pickthall; Horan v Express Newspapers; A-G v Conde Nast; Al Alaoui v Elaph; National Farmersâ Union v Tiernan; Ashgar v Ahmad.
Members of the set write or contribute to the principal textbooks in their field: Gatley on Libel and Slander; Clerk and Lindsell on Torts; The Law of Privacy and the Media; Blackstone’s Guide to the Defamation Act; Borrie & Lowe; The Law of Contempt; Arlidge, Eady & Smith on Contempt; The Law of Photography and Digital Images and Clerk & Lindsell on Torts.
Frequently 5RBâs barristers are called upon to advise out-of-hours or to seek or oppose emergency injunctive relief. There are out-of-hours contact arrangements and an on-call rota for advice over weekends and public holidays. 5RB is sensitive to the fact that, as a leading specialist set, different members are often instructed on opposing sides of the same dispute. There are robust arrangements in place to preserve client confidentiality.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior clerk | LOVE, Andrew | ||
| Members of Chambers | BROWNE QC, Desmond (1969) (QC 1990) | ||
| Members of Chambers | RUSHBROOKE QC, Justin (1992) (QC 2013) | ||
| Members of Chambers | PAGE QC, Adrienne (1974) (QC 1999) | ||
| Members of Chambers | CALDECOTT QC, Andrew (1975) (QC 1999) | ||
| Members of Chambers | MICHALOS QC, Christina (1994) (QC 2019) | ||
| Members of Chambers | BENNETT QC, William (1994) (QC 2019) | ||
| Members of Chambers | WOLANSKI QC, Adam (1995) (QC 2019) | ||
| Members of Chambers | SPEKER QC, Adam (1999) (QC 2020) | ||
| Members of Chambers | BLACKBURN SC, Tom (1988) (SC 2003 Australia) | ||
| Members of Chambers | PHILLIPS, Jane (1989) | ||
| Members of Chambers | MARZEC, Alexandra (1990) | ||
| Members of Chambers | SHERBORNE, David (1992) | ||
| Members of Chambers | BARNES, Jonathan (1999) | ||
| Members of Chambers | BUSUTTIL, Godwin (1994) | ||
| Members of Chambers | DEAN, Jacob (1995) | ||
| Members of Chambers | EARDLEY, Aidan (2002) | ||
| Members of Chambers | MUNDEN, Richard (2003) | ||
| Members of Chambers | HIRST, David (2003) | ||
| Members of Chambers | SIMON-SHORE, Victoria (2005) | ||
| Members of Chambers | JOLLIFFE, Victoria (2005) | ||
| Members of Chambers | WILSON, Kate (2005) | ||
| Members of Chambers | SCHERBEL-BALL, Jonathan (2010) | ||
| Members of Chambers | McMAHON, Felicity (2008) | ||
| Members of Chambers | SANTOS, Julian (2008) | ||
| Members of Chambers | STRONG, Chloe (2010) | ||
| Members of Chambers | DE WILDE, Gervase (2012) | ||
| Members of Chambers | CALLUS, Greg (2012) | ||
| Members of Chambers | HAMER, Clara (2013) | ||
| Members of Chambers | STABLES, John (2012) | ||
| Members of Chambers | GALLOP, Ben (2017) | ||
| Members of Chambers | HAMER, Ben (2017) | ||
| Members of Chambers | WALKER-PARR, Lily (2018) | ||
| Members of Chambers | BROWNE, Luke (2017) | ||
| Associate Member | MILMO QC, Patrick (1962) (QC 1985)* | ||
| Associate Member | MCCAFFERTY QC, Patrick (2005) (QC 2018) | ||
| Associate Member | SMITH, Professor Tony (1992) |
Barrister Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
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Jonathan Barnes | Specialises in media and commercial litigation, including defamation, malicious falsehood, contract, agency,… | View Profile |
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William Bennett | William originally practised in criminal law before moving into defamation in 1996,… | View Profile |
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Tom Blackburn SC | Defamation and Malicious Falsehood; Privacy and Confidence; Data Protection and Information Law;… | View Profile |
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Desmond Browne | Specialises in media law, privacy and defamation. Recent cases include: Berezovsky v… | View Profile |
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Luke Browne | Defamation and Malicious Falsehood; Privacy and Confidence; Data Protection and Information Law;… | View Profile |
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Godwin Busuttil | Specialises in media work generally: defamation; malicious falsehood; privacy/confidence; data protection; contempt… | View Profile |
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Andrew Caldecott | Defamation and Malicious Falsehood; Privacy and Confidence; Data Protection and Information Law;… | View Profile |
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Greg Callus | Defamation and Malicious Falsehood; Privacy and Confidence; Data Protection and Information Law;… | View Profile |
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Jacob Dean | Jacob specialises in defamation and privacy, media and entertainment and sports law.… | View Profile |
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Aidan Eardley | Defamation and Malicious Falsehood; Privacy and Confidence; Data Protection and Information Law;… | View Profile |
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Ben Gallop | Defamation and Malicious Falsehood; Privacy and Confidence; Data Protection and Information Law;… | View Profile |
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Clara Hamer | Defamation and Malicious Falsehood; Privacy and Confidence; Data Protection and Information Law;… | View Profile |
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Ben Hamer | Defamation and Malicious Falsehood; Privacy and Confidence; Data Protection and Information Law;… | View Profile |
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David Hirst | Areas of work include defamation, privacy, malicious falsehood, contempt, reporting restrictions, copyright,… | View Profile |
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Victoria Jolliffe | Specialises in defamation, privacy, malicious falsehood, harassment and other media related matters.… | View Profile |
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Alexandra Marzec | Barrister dealing with libel and slander; misuse of private information and breach… | View Profile |
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Felicity McMahon | Media law barrister practising in defamation, privacy and confidence, data protection, harassment,… | View Profile |
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Christina AD Michalos | Specialises in copyright, breach of confidence, privacy, passing off, trade marks and… | View Profile |
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Patrick Milmo | Defamation, abuse of private information, breach of confidence, horse racing and professional… | View Profile |
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Richard Alexander John Munden | Specialises in the areas of defamation, private and confidential information, harassment, data… | View Profile |
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Adrienne Page | Specialises in defamation, privacy and related media law generally. For recent cases… | View Profile |
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Jane Phillips | Defamation and Malicious Falsehood; Privacy and Confidence; Data Protection and Information Law;… | View Profile |
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Justin Charles Neil Rushbrooke | Specialises in media and entertainment law, in particular libel (including corporate and… | View Profile |
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Julian Santos | Specialises in defamation, privacy, harassment and data protection. Provides pre-publication advice to… | View Profile |
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Jonathan Scherbel-Ball | Defamation and Malicious Falsehood; Privacy and Confidence; Data Protection and Information Law;… | View Profile |
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David Alexander Sherborne | David is a media and entertainment barrister practising at 5RB who specialises… | View Profile |
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Victoria Simon-Shore | Specialises in media law, including defamation, breach of confidence and privacy. For… | View Profile |
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Adam Samuel Edward Speker | Specialises in defamation, privacy and media law; for recent and important cases… | View Profile |
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John Stables | Defamation and Malicious Falsehood; Privacy and Confidence; Data Protection and Information Law;… | View Profile |
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Chloe Strong | Chloe practises across the range of Chambers’ specialties, with a particular focus… | View Profile |
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Lily Walker-Parr | Defamation and Malicious Falsehood; Privacy and Confidence; Data Protection and Information Law;… | View Profile |
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Kate Wilson | Defamation and Malicious Falsehood; Privacy and Confidence; Data Protection and Information Law;… | View Profile |
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Adam Wolanski | Specialises in media law, including defamation, breach of confidence/privacy and reporting restrictions.… | View Profile |
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Gervase de Wilde | Gervase joined 5RB in October 2013 following the completion of his pupillage… | View Profile |