Defamation
We understand the publication of defamatory statements (which cause serious harm to a person's reputation) can have a damaging and long lasting impact on our clients.
We act swiftly across all forms of media to prevent damage to reputation and to professional and personal relationships, as well as to avoid intrusion.
We support both private clients and High Net Worth Individuals in their pursuit of libel claims.
- Hamlins acted for Lord Sheikh in libel proceedings brought in respect of a MailOnline article. Associated Newspapers accepted that the very serious allegations it had published were untrue and agreed to apologise and to pay a substantial sum of damages to Lord Sheikh alongside his legal costs.
- Hamlins represented Anna Turley in her successful legal action against Unite the Union and Stephen Walker, the publisher and editor of the left-wing blog, the Skwawkbox, for libel, breach of the Data Protection Act, and misuse of private information/ breach of confidence in relation to an article published on the Skwawkbox.
- Hamlins successfully acted for Paul Seeley, a law enforcement officer, in a libel claim against News Group Newspapers (NGN). NGN agreed to a full and public apology by way of a Statement in Open Court, and also agreed to pay damages, provided an undertaking not to repeat the same or any similar allegation of our client in future, to withdraw any permission to repeat the articles and to pay Mr Seeley’s reasonable legal costs.