Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Defamation/Privacy - All Circuits

1
Band 1

What the Team is Known For

5RB houses a deep bench of barristers who are noted for their expert handling of libel and privacy claims and related data protection matters, as well as emergency injunctions. The set is praised with an interviewee noting that "5RB are the market leading set in media and reputation management law." Its members are instructed by claimants and defendants in the most prominent cases at all levels, including in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. Members continue to be instructed in the most high-profile cases in the market, with recent examples including the case brought against the Mail's publisher Associated Newspapers by doctors Harcombe & Kendrick. They have defended media outlets including The Times, The Sun and the BBC, and have acted to protect the reputation and privacy of numerous high-profile individuals such as the Duchess of Sussex and Johnny Depp.

Strengths

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Notable Practitioners

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Adrienne Page
Star Individuals

Adrienne Page KC is a leading silk with particular experience acting for claimants in a range of matters relating to defamation, malicious falsehood and harassment. She has led the Bar in the interpretation of the 'serious harm' requirement for claims under the Defamation Act 2013.

She is fantastic, incredibly good with clients and always my go-to silk at 5RB.

Adrienne Page is really good, clients like her, she is very grounded and does not get stressed or floundered.

She is unquestionably an excellent media law silk.

Andrew Caldecott KC
Star Individuals

Andrew Caldecott KC is a star of the Defamation and Privacy Bar, and he is widely regarded as one of the leading silks in the area. He has unrivalled Supreme Court experience and is continually instructed in high-profile, precedent-setting cases concerning defamation, privacy and malicious falsehood.

Andrew is preeminent in the area.

David Sherborne
Star Individuals

David Sherborne is a stellar defamation specialist barrister who wins unanimous praise from peers for his privacy practice. He remains at the forefront of phone-hacking litigation and continues to receive instructions in landmark libel and privacy cases.

1
Adam Wolanski
1
Band 1

Adam Wolanski KC is a leading defamation barrister who is valued by instructing solicitors for his client management skills and well-honed advocacy style. He acts for and against the major media organisations and newspapers in high-profile cases concerning libel, privacy, data protection and reporting restrictions.

Adam is always a very assured presence, able to focus on the key points that steer a route to victory.

Adam is our go-to silk, he inspires confidence.

A pleasure to work with and able to cut to the heart of the issues quickly and succinctly.

Affable, accessible and with great judgement.

1
Alexandra Marzec
1
Band 1

Alexandra Marzec has an enviable reputation in the area of libel and privacy litigation. She is particularly proficient in media defence, having acted for newspapers, private investigators and other members of the press in phone hacking claims.

Adept at dealing with client's concerns and explaining legal issues to lay clients.

Alex is excellent at providing nuanced advice on complex issues.

Alexandra is immensely experienced and has an expert eye for strategy while staying perfectly across the detail.

1
Clara Hamer
1
Band 1

Clara Hamer is a well-established practitioner, with an expert practice covering all aspects of media and information law. She acts in privacy and defamation matters for national newspapers, publishers and broadcasters.

Very hard-working and clear in her advice.

She knows the law like the back of her hand and turns out extremely impressive written work.

Incredibly thorough and extremely bright and prepared to fight for you and your corner.

Clara is admired for just the conscientiousness and attention to detail.

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Godwin Busuttil
1
Band 1

Godwin Busuttil is a top defamation barrister, offering a raft of expertise in privacy, conspiracy, data protection, online harassment and libel. He acts for both claimants and defendants and has co-authored much of the leading commentary on the practice area, and has appeared in some of the leading defamation and privacy cases of recent years.

Godwin is technically very good.

1
Greg Callus
1
Band 1

Greg Callus has a superb reputation as a barrister with a flourishing data protection and libel practice. He is instructed by both claimants and defendants, and counts high-profile publishers and broadcasters among his clientele.

He has an encyclopaedic mind about everything and is tiringly brilliant.

Greg callus is really just a standout junior barrister of his generation, he is so knowledgeable, enthusiastic and driven for clients.

1
Jane Phillips
1
Band 1

Jane Phillips is a well-regarded barrister specialising in media litigation. She acts for a number of high-profile celebrity clients and media organisations in sensitive disputes. She also provides pre-publication advice to book publishers and broadcasters.

Perfect combination of technical, legal and client care skills.

Outstanding barrister with oodles of common sense, excellent judgement and very accomplished in conference, on paper and in advocacy.

She is very grounded seeing wood for the trees.

1
Jonathan Scherbel-Ball
1
Band 1

Jonathan Scherbel-Ball is a defamation and data protection-focused barrister who is well respected for his defence work. His practice is augmented by his previous in-house experience at the BBC. He has a significant Northern Irish practice and regularly represents publishers and broadcasters, government departments, and a range of blue-chip multinational companies.

His advocacy is very strong, he is absolutely excellent.

He is just absolutely fantastic and is totally on top of everything.

He has an unbelievable instinct and his grasp of the law in technical areas of law and sound strategic judgment is invaluable.

1
Justin Rushbrooke
1
Band 1

Justin Rushbrooke KC continues to be in high demand for his strong advocacy skills and understanding of the DPA in the context of defamation and privacy law. He has niche expertise in corporate libel claims and disclosure orders.

Justin is a human computer, I rate him strongly as he is brilliant.

1
Kate Wilson
1
Band 1

Kate Wilson is frequently involved in high-profile libel and privacy claims, with experience in the Supreme Court. She has niche expertise in online issues and claims involving public authorities. She has additional expertise in cases concerning disputes arising from journalists' articles and or interviews.

Kate is pragmatic, clever, good with clients and very compelling on her feet in court.

1
Richard Munden
1
Band 1

Richard Munden is an experienced barrister with leading expertise in media matters, including claims involving the DPA and traditional libel matters. He is active in a number of phone-hacking and related privacy claims.

His legal analysis and ability on his feet in court particularly stand out.

I have found Richard to be knowledgeable, pragmatic and able to deal with difficult opposition.

He is a very reliable, good barrister whose advice lands well.

1
William Bennett
1
Band 1

William Bennett KC enjoys an established reputation in the fields of defamation and privacy. He generally appears for claimants in high-profile libel claims often arising from media depictions and public statements.

His intelligence and strategic outlook are remarkable and really set him aside from other practitioners in the industry.

2
Adam Speker
2
Band 2

Adam Speker KC is a superb barrister with a broad media practice encompassing all aspects of reputation management, privacy and media defence. He has appeared before the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court and the Privy Council.

Excellent all-rounder and a particular go-to for prepublication injunction advice.

Highly experienced silk with great advocacy and written skills.

Adam is a very knowledgeable, extremely good libel lawyer; courts pay attention to what he says.

2
Aidan Eardley
2
Band 2

Aidan Eardley KC is a barrister with an outstanding reputation for media law matters and a strong track record of acting both for and against the media. He draws praise for his understanding of the DPA and his strong advocacy skills.

Extremely clever and industrious.

His advice is commercial and reasonable, he knows how judges will read things and brings a strategic eye on how to run cases.

2
Ben Gallop
2
Band 2

Ben Gallop is an esteemed junior barrister building a strong reputation for defamation and privacy work. His recent practice has focused on defending a number of major newspaper publishers, including the proprietors of the Guardian, BBC and The Mail in high-profile libel claims. Before joining the Bar, he worked at the Independent Press Standards Organisation.

He is absolutely fantastic and one of the best juniors at the libel and data Bar.

Ben is an excellent junior, not only is he a subject matter expert but he also keeps in mind commerciality with his advice.

He is very eloquent in court and a strong advocate.

2
Chloe Strong
2
Band 2

Chloe Strong represents clients in defamation, privacy, confidence and copyright claims. She represents both individuals and companies, and frequently provides pre-publication advice to major publishers.

Chloe is very thorough with her advice.

2
Julian Santos
2
Band 2

Julian Santos is a highly rated barrister with particular expertise in cases concerning defamation, privacy, data protection, harassment and breach of confidence. He is active in ongoing matters arising out of the phone-hacking scandal.

Superb advocate and a very hard worker.

3
Ben Hamer
3
Band 3

Ben Hamer is a strong junior with a practice focused on acting in defamation disputes for both individual claimants, as well as in group actions. He has experience acting in high-profile matters in the High Court and Court of Appeal.

Ben is really brilliant with clients and his written work is very clear and concise; he makes really good points and has fantastic legal knowledge.

Extremely accessible, responsive and he is excellent on procedural points.

An all-rounder with a strong intellect, excellent client-handling and very good to work with.

3
David Hirst
3
Band 3

David Hirst is a highly lauded defamation and privacy barrister with a niche focus on online matters such as internet harassment, tracing and disclosure orders against ISPs. He also advises corporate entities and media organisations on pre-publication.

David is a true expert and is able to work with the most difficult facts with ease and perspective.

Incredibly intelligent and just a genuine pleasure to work with.

I always know I am getting very sophisticated and educated advice when I go to him.

3
Gervase de Wilde
3
Band 3

Gervase de Wilde focuses on representing newspapers, broadcasters and private individuals in disputes concerning defamation, privacy, harassment and court reporting. His previous experience as a journalist for a national newspaper gives him considerable insight into the sector.

Gervase is diligent, knowledgeable and overall a superb junior.

His analyses are thoughtful and clear.

3
Jonathan Barnes
3
Band 3

Jonathan Barnes KC is a highly experienced barrister who acts mainly for claimants in actions concerning reputation, including libel and privacy proceedings. He is well regarded for his expertise in data privacy matters, journalistic protections and his previous experience as a solicitor practising in the field.

Jonathan is tenacious, incredibly hard-working and very bright.

He can field questions on novel issues competently, he is not flustered by aggressive questioning.

His advocacy was incredible and a pleasure to behold.

3
Tom Blackburn
3
Band 3

Tom Blackburn SC is held in high regard for his busy defamation practice which has taken in a number of heavyweight libel cases, in both the UK and Australia.

3
Victoria Jolliffe
3
Band 3

Victoria Jolliffe is an accomplished media law barrister focusing on reputational matters for claimants and defendants. She has niche expertise in Norwich Pharmacal applications, and privacy and harassment injunctions.

Victoria is an excellent advocate who is easy to work with and gives clear strategic advice.

3
Victoria Simon-Shore
3
Band 3

Victoria Simon-Shore practises in the area of media law and has expertise spanning libel, online harassment, privacy and breach of confidence. She also provides pre-publication advice to newspaper clients.

Victoria is simply brilliant; she quickly grasped our objectives and advised us on the risks in a way that enabled us to execute our strategy with confidence.

Victoria has a great ability to put clients at ease and explain this very complicated area of law in a way in which they understand.

Clever, diligent and very good to work with.

4
Felicity McMahon
4
Band 4

Felicity McMahon enjoys a growing reputation in the area, thanks to her successful work for both claimants and defendants in matters relating to privacy, libel and harassment.

4
John Stables
4
Band 4

John Stables is a well-versed defamation practitioner who is regularly instructed by high-profile broadcaster and publisher claimants and defendants. His practice is further bolstered by his significant experience in media regulation matters.

4
Lily Walker-Parr
4
Band 4

Lily Walker-Parr is a highly esteemed media law barrister who is notably experienced in claims against the traditional press and those concerning information published on social media.

A real rising star of the media Bar who is worth instructing.

Lily is an excellent junior barrister who prepares excellent written advice and is very good to work with.

4
Luke Browne
4
Band 4

Luke Browne is impressively experienced acting for claimants and the press in privacy and defamation claims. He has expertise in traditional libel, as well as novel cases bringing in additional areas of law, such as social media-related claims.

He was endlessly supportive, always quick to respond and provided comprehensive submissions to the court at extremely short notice.

His commitment and attention to detail is fantastic.

U
Hope Williams
U
Up and Coming

Hope Williams is quickly establishing a strong defamation and privacy practice, having appeared in many high-profile cases of recent times.

I could not fault Hope, her advice is spot-on and she is always on hand to assist.

Hope is super sensitive to the needs of clients, very practical and hands-on.

Jacob Dean
New Silks

Jacob Dean KC is a premier barrister in the media sector who frequently appears in major cases, both as sole counsel and under the direction of leading silks. He has appeared before the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal on a number of occasions. He has particular expertise in online and cross-jurisdictional matters.

Jacob is always available, thoughtful and delivers great advice.

Jacob is incredibly responsive with great analytical skills; he is an excellent draughtsman and has phenomenal appellate skills.

Ranked Barristers at
5RB

Provided by Chambers
Filter by
Band

Silks (KC)

All Circuits

Defamation/Privacy

Adrienne Page KC
Star Individuals
Andrew Caldecott KC
Star Individuals
1
Adam Wolanski KC
1
Band 1
1
Justin Rushbrooke KC
1
Band 1
1
William Bennett KC
1
Band 1
2
Adam Speker KC
2
Band 2
2
Aidan Eardley KC
2
Band 2
3
Jonathan Barnes KC
3
Band 3
3
Tom Blackburn SC
3
Band 3
Jacob Dean KC
New Silks

Juniors

All Circuits

Defamation/Privacy

David Sherborne
Star Individuals
1
Alexandra Marzec
1
Band 1
1
Clara Hamer
1
Band 1
1
Godwin Busuttil
1
Band 1
1
Greg Callus
1
Band 1
1
Jane Phillips
1
Band 1
1
Jonathan Scherbel-Ball
1
Band 1
1
Kate Wilson
1
Band 1
1
Richard Munden
1
Band 1
2
Ben Gallop
2
Band 2
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