Taylor Hampton Solicitors

Taylor Hampton has a stellar reputation in both Defamation and Privacy law, having shaped the law in the UK in both causes of action over the last decade and a half.The firm boasts a hugely impressive legacy of having acted in the landmark cases in both areas of law.

In 2009, the firm made its mark acting for the author and academic, Dr Sarah Thornton in Thornton v Telegraph Media Group Ltd [2009] EWHC 2863 (QB), a case which fundamentally changed the area of defamation law and led to the passing of the Defamation Act 2013 and the threshold requirement of “serious harm” required in order to bring a defamation claim. Following the enactment of the2013 Act, the firm acted for the French aerospace engineer, Bruno Lachaux, (Lachaux v Independent Print Ltd [2019] UKSC 27) in the definitive case on libel following the passing of the Defamation Act 2013 all the way to the Supreme Court, which held that serious harm needed to be proved by reference to the actual facts, rather than the inherent tendency of the words. This has been the foundation of the law of libel in the UK ever since.

In the area of privacy law, the firm has been a pioneer in the tort of misuse of private information and was instrumental in the inception of the phone hacking litigation against News Group Newspapers Limited. One of its first phone hacking cases led to the closure of the News of the World Newspaper, the establishment of the Leveson inquiry, and the refusal of Parliament to allow the takeover of BSkyB by News Corporation. The firm was also the first firm to commence group litigation against Mirror Group Newspapers. It acted for the Claimant in the landmark privacy case of Gulati which led to hugely increased awards of damages in breaches of privacy cases. Last year, the firm acted for Fiona Wightman, the ex-wife of comedian Paul Whitehouse in the widely covered trial against MGN of the Duke of Sussex and others v MGN [2023] EWHC 3217 (Ch).

Vindication of its clients’ reputations is at the forefront of its actions, as well as achieving substantial damages and awards of costs, in cases such as Jose Antonio Serrano Garcia v Associated Newspapers [2014] EWHC 3137 (QB) and Rashed v Deane [2023] EWHC 3324 (KB).

Whilst the firm continues to represent a number of high-profile celebrities and other individuals, in recent years, the firm has expanded into acting for a number of corporate entities in both libel and slander cases.

Notable cases:

Thornton v Telegraph Media Group Ltd [2009] EWHC 2863 (QB) and Thornton v Telegraph Media Group Ltd (No 2) [2010] EWHC 1414(QB)

Sylvia Henry v News Group Newspapers [2011] EWHC 1058 (QB)

Gulati v MGN [2015] EWHC 1482 (Ch)

Lachaux v Independent Print Ltd [2019] UKSC 27

Fiona Wightman and others v MGN [2023] EWHC 3217 (Ch)