Defamation and Reputation Management

A respected brand or reputation takes years to build but can be damaged all too quickly, and take a huge amount of time and investment to restore. Our team advises businesses, individuals, insurers and public bodies on a wide range of defamation and reputation management issues. Whether you are looking to protect your reputation or defend claims made against you, we provide advice that combines an effective legal strategy with a commercial approach in this highly sensitive area.

Overview

We understand the sensitivities involved in handling defamation and reputation management challenges where reputation is paramount and breach cannot always be easily compensated in damages. We are on hand to act quickly and are well-versed with dealing with (threatened) urgent injunctive remedies if required.

Our team has extensive experience representing clients in court including on applications for emergency relief, but we also often work behind the scenes to secure cost-effective, robust solutions that limit damage and allow you to move on.

We have particular expertise in working with public bodies, helping them to protect their reputations whilst navigating complex regulation.

The advice we offer includes:

  • Challenging and preventing publication of damaging stories or private information in the media, online or in a commercial context;
  • Advice on liaising with the media and relevant codes of conduct;
  • Obtaining, defending and discharging emergency injunctions;
  • Litigation involving defamation, malicious falsehood, privacy, breach of confidence and harassment;
  • Brand and reputation management and enhancement strategies;
  • Pre-publication/broadcast advice to those at risk of publishing potentially contentious material;
  • Data protection issues;
  • Dealing with harassment.

Featured experience

  • Secured a very unusual reporting restriction order which prevented the national media from publishing the name of a witness in a High Court trial because of the risk of physical harm if identified.
  • Defended the authors of a peer-reviewed clinical trial report in allegations of libel by a product manufacturer.
  • Defeated a claim brought by a clinician who objected to comments about him in the final report following a major inquiry.
  • Defended a client in High Court defamation proceedings in relation to the publication of a whistleblowing letter involving a senior member of staff.
  • Advised an NHS Trust and obtained an injunction against a former employee, preventing him from harassing its chief nurse.
  • Advised a local authority on the harassment of its Chief Executive by one of its Councillors.
  • Advised our client on proposed articles on national media coverage on Panorama, The Times, Newsnight, Channel 4 News and The Daily Mail. We helped identify the legal risk and help craft the response for publication and background briefing to journalists.
  • Secured an order that junior members of staff be anonymised in documents disclosed during a high profile judicial review.

Defamation and reputation management key contacts

Quiénes somos

¿Por qué elegir DAC Beachcroft?

Somos un bufete comercial de amplia base que presta servicios a una gran variedad de sectores, con una sólida herencia en seguros,
salud e inmobiliario. Combinamos excelentes conocimientos jurídicos y experiencia de vanguardia para diseñar soluciones en
que se adapten a las necesidades de nuestros clientes, a menudo con un uso inteligente de la tecnología.