Martin Soames

Practice Areas

Martin is a Partner in the Media & Communications Disputes and Dispute Resolution teams. He is a litigator specialising in publishing disputes, who runs cases at all levels up to and including the Supreme Court. He has a keen understanding of the commercial pressures of publication, deadlines and the need to balance editorial aims against legal risks.

He originally worked as a commissioning editor in book publishing and his clients include national and international book publishers, magazines, authors and content providers.

Martin is highly ranked in Chambers UK: “a highly experienced publishing lawyer who maintains a vibrant publishing practice”. He is described as “a go-to practitioner for pre-publication publishing matters’: ‘he’s a speedy, careful, meticulous reader. He’s calm in a crisis and offers very balanced, measured advice”. Previous recommendations note that he gives “brilliant libel advice: succinct, cost-efficient, often entertaining and genuinely diligent”. Chambers commends his “invaluable insight into the media industry. Clients value his skill in assessing risk and negotiating his way through seemingly unwinnable situations.”