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DEPARTMENT PROFILE

Bell Yard

PR & Communications

1 ranked individualsBand 2UK-wideLitigation Support 2021 View ranking table
chambers review
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Ranked Individuals
chambers review
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Ranked Individuals

Chambers Review

Chambers Research is conducted by 200 Research Analysts, across 200 jurisdictions and provides nearly 6,000 rankings tables. Annually we collect hundreds of thousands of responses from clients, the majority via in-depth interview. Learn more about our methodology.

What the team is known for

Bell Yard is a market-leading litigation PR boutique with a long-established presence in London. The firm represents both defendants and claimants across a range of case types and sectors. Its services include media risk assessment, dispute profiling and public relations connected to trial, among others.

Strengths

"We always recommend Bell Yard because they never let us down. It strikes me they have a wide range of skills across crisis comms but also into general commercial delivery that is required depending on the work. I think the level of hard work, care and speed of accurate turnaround, coupled with deep and wide capability, is what marks them out from other litigation comms support."

"They were excellent: available when required and at short notice; able to grasp information quickly; able to work with diverse external correspondents; and able to explain the benefits of coverage achieved to US counterparts unfamiliar with UK media. They reported regularly and as required."

Work highlights

Instructed by Mishcon de Reya in April 2020 to assist in building a class to litigate against insurance companies on behalf of UK hospitality businesses for policy payouts arising from lockdown and their COVID-19-related losses.

Notable practitioners

Melanie Riley is a co-founder and director of Bell Yard Communications. She is instructed by corporate clients, law firms, barristers' chambers, charities and high net worth individuals in disputes ranging from white-collar crime to matrimonial matters. Noted by a peer as "hugely respected" in the field of litigation PR, Riley is praised by clients as "insightful" and "an excellent comms practitioner." Another source relates: "This was a very high-profile action, and having Melanie alongside us made all the difference. She didn't put a foot wrong, managing content as well as workflow to an extremely high standard. We were a demanding client and she always delivered."

Department Information

This content is provided by Bell Yard.

Overview

Bell Yard Communications was one of the first to practise Litigation PR in the UK and remains its best-known proponent. Founded in 2002, the agency has worked on a wide range of criminal matters and civil disputes across a variety of sectors. It also supports clients facing regulatory scrutiny and during public inquiries, as well as offering reputation management, campaigning and profile-raising PR for lawyers. Whether HNW individual, corporate or small business, law firm or chambers, charity or finance house, Bell Yard assists clients where there is a desire to communicate on matters involving the law. This focused offering differentiates the consultancy from other agencies — notably its instructions largely come via the legal community.

 


Members
PR & Communications

Bell Yard

website
phone
Phone number
firm
Location

21 Fleet Street

London

Greater London

UK

EC4Y 1AA

View Firm Profile

Ranked Individuals

Chambers Research is conducted by 200 Research Analysts, across 200 jurisdictions and provides nearly 6,000 rankings tables. Annually we collect hundreds of thousands of responses from clients, the majority via in-depth interview. Learn more about our methodology.

UK-wide

PR & Communications

Melanie Riley
Band 1
teamMore about this individual