Defamation solicitors

Get expert advice on defamation claims and reputation management

Defamation is an area of law that has the aim of protecting reputation from harm. For an individual or entity to have been defamed they must show that the words concerned have been published, that they are related to them and that they have adversely affected their reputation. There are two branches of defamation; libel concerns statements made in a lasting form such as in a newspaper article and slander relates to comments that are not permanent such as oral comments.

In a world where the internet and social media are accessible to all and have a significant impact on users, defamatory statements can now enter the public domain with a wide global reach having potentially damaging consequences to reputation for those on the receiving end.

Why choose our defamation lawyers?

Our defamation solicitors understand that your reputation can be one of your most valuable assets, both professionally and personally, and our lawyers are ready to provide you with swift, effective and comprehensive advice to protect you/your company against any defamatory statements and advising on potential alternate actions including malicious falsehood, breach of confidence, protection from harassment and misuse of private information.

Whether it be initial pre-action correspondence or taking urgent action to apply to the court for an injunction and/or damages (before or after publication), our team of lawyers have a wealth of experience of working with clients to advise on reputation management issues and are here to guide you every step of the way. Wherever we can, we will do our best to avoid litigation and treat that as a last resort.

Key cases

We've advised a number of individuals, companies and organisations on a variety of reputation management matters, which include:

Acting for a professional client whose family had been subject to arguable breaches of privacy by a national news publisher. We identified key issues concerning breach of IPSO Code of Practice requiring publishers to have respect for privacy, family life, home, physical and mental health. In response to our strong and effective representations, the offending elements of the publications were promptly removed.
Acting for a major public sector client concerning a disputed report by a leading academic which had been published online without proper consultation. Following pre action protocol correspondence identifying with precision and accuracy the words complained of and the meaning attached to such words the Report was amended by agreement avoiding costly litigation.
Advising numerous individuals on Google “Right to be Forgotten” requests.
Advising individuals on protection of personal confidential information and privacy rights

We're happy to provide you with an initial assessment and recommend preliminary action on a fixed-fee basis to provide you with certainty of cost.