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Services for Businesses and Organisations

Media and Information

Bindmans offers speedy and effective pre-publication libel, privacy and data protection advice to a wide variety of organisations, including charities, NGOs, and media outlets.

Publications on social media and in the mainstream media can seriously damage your business. Our highly experienced Media and Information team handle complex libel, privacy, misuse of private information, data protection and cybersecurity, and breach of confidence matters. In a world where anyone can be a publisher, we give creative but realistic pre-publication advice to help you publish what you want without legal repercussions. If your organisation is facing challenges online, we can help stop confidential information leaking and act fast to remedy false or damaging claims. 

Using our firm’s unparalleled experience in human rights and social justice, we utilise cross-departmental expertise to provide a wide-ranging offering which includes criminal, public law, employment, and immigration law to help with any ancillary issues which may arise.

Our Media and Information team can help with the following:

  • Pre-publication review and check
  • Advice to companies, charities, and so on
  • Advice to campaign groups, particularly where they want to run spoof/parody ads
  • Advice to authors/writers/publishers
  • Defending organisations in litigation
  • Ofcom and other regulatory disputes
  • Advising organisations on bringing potential litigation

Bindmans has been a leader in this field for many years. The team is led by ‘legendary media lawyer’ Tamsin Allen, the coordinating lawyer for Core Participants in the Leveson Inquiry and the litigation that followed, and represents numerous NGOs, publishers, charities, and newspapers. The team’s offering has been broadened by the arrival of Monika Sobiecki, specialist data protection and cybersecurity barrister, who has experience in dealing with high-stakes reputational fallouts from data breaches and reputational impacts for businesses.

If you have an issue in this area, contact us any time by completing our enquiry form here, or by calling us on +44 (0)20 7833 4433 asking for the Media and Information team.

What others say

Bindmans has a strong, claimant-focused media law practice with a deserved reputation for fighting for the interests of the underdog. They represent a wide range of individuals and campaigning groups and are at the forefront of legal developments in media and information law field.

Legal 500 2022 – Media and Entertainment

Extensive media and information (including data protection) law practice with interesting/unique crossover work from criminal justice/public law work.

Legal 500 2022 – Media and Entertainment

Well-regarded claimant practice which manages reputational issues for journalists, politicians, NGOs and vulnerable people, among others. Utilises its expertise in media, crime, employment, immigration, family and police actions to advise clients on all aspects of a reputational crisis. Adept at advising on privacy, information and data protection matters.

Chambers and Partners 2020 – Defamation and Reputation Management

Human rights firm Bindmans LLP’s ‘cutting-edge’ reputation management team attracts attention for its expertise representing vulnerable individuals such as whistleblowers, among them Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie. ‘Stand-out individual’ and department head Tamsin Allen takes on a wide array of matters including “right to be forgotten” issues and misuse of private information claims emanating from Worldcheck databases as well as traditional libel and defamation cases. She is also involved in matters relating to how libel law is being used to silence women making statements about abuse.

Legal 500 2019 – Reputation Management

Bindmans LLP is instructed by claimants and defendants in media cases involving defamation, privacy and data protection law. The team represents a diverse range of clients including politicians, NGOs, TV producers, national newspapers, and notable high-profile individuals working in the TV, drama, arts and music industries. The firm provides specialist whistleblower, reputation and crisis management advice where it draws on the firm’s wider experience across crime, family, employment and immigration. The team also defends individual journalists and major media organisations in criminal investigations and prosecutions. The team is regularly engaged on high-profile matters and it provided pre-publication and strategic advice to Mr Wylie, the Cambridge Analytica whistleblower, in relation to the risk of publishing confidential and defamatory information about Cambridge Analytica, SCL Elections and Facebook.

Legal 500 2019 – Media and Entertainment

Well-regarded claimant practice which manages reputational issues for journalists, politicians, NGOs and vulnerable people, among others. Utilises its expertise in media, crime, employment, immigration, family and police actions to advise clients on all aspects of a reputational crisis. Adept at advising on privacy, information and data protection matters.

Chambers and Partners 2019 – Defamation and Reputation Management

Bindmans LLP is experienced in defamation, privacy and data protection law. Head of media and information law Tamsin Allen is ‘bright and brilliant with clients’ and represents claimants and defendants in contentious media cases; highlights for Allen include representing Mr Wylie, the Cambridge Analytica whistleblower regarding risks from publishing confidential information about Cambridge Analytica, Facebook and the Vote Leave campaign; and advising film company and film-maker Franny Armstrong in relation to a forthcoming drama series about the activities of undercover police.

Legal 500 2018 – Media and Entertainment

They’re very good indeed. The work they do is of the highest standard and reasonably priced. They’re very efficient and they develop a good rapport with their clients.

Chambers and Partners 2018 – Defamation and Reputation Management

Bindmans LLP is noted for its work for claimants and defendants in defamation and reputation management matters, and it also acts for publishers in providing pre-publication, copyright and libel advice. It advised film company Undercovers on privacy, libel and copyright issues relating to the script of a drama series, and advised IMPRESS on its application for recognition as an independent press regulator by the Press Recognition Panel. Media and entertainment team head Tamsin Allen is ‘superb’ and specialises in defamation, privacy, data protection, phone hacking claims and press regulation. Kate Goold handles criminal matters for journalists and media organisations and defends high-profile individuals accused of crimes. Martin Rackstraw and Katie Wheatley are also noted.

Legal 500 2017 – Media and Entertainment (including media finance)

They are a delight to work with – extremely sharp, knowledgeable and always available, but also good at the softer skills.

Chambers and Partners 2017 – Defamation and Reputation Management

Clients of the ‘strong’ Bindmans LLP include pianist and author James Rhodes, whom Tamsin Allen defended in an injunction action to prevent the publication of his memoir. Allen ‘combines top-level legal skills with strategic insight’. Criminal lawyer Kate Goold acted for David Miranda in a case that concerned journalistic freedom.

Legal 500 2016 – Media and Entertainment (including media finance)

At Bindmans LLP, Tamsin Allen ‘combines top-level legal skills with strong strategic sense and insight’. Allen is advising on libel and privacy issues pertaining to a TV drama series on undercover policing.

Legal 500 2016 – Reputation management

Regarded for the breadth of its defamation and reputation management practice. Frequently takes on matters with strong human rights elements or accusations of criminal activity. Houses a compact but acclaimed team of specialists with experience in taking cases to the Supreme Court.

Chambers and Partners 2016 – Defamation and Reputation Management

They have a mixture of determined legal skills and emotional intelligence.

Chambers and Partners 2016 – Defamation and Reputation Management

At Bindmans LLP, Tamsin Allen is ‘an excellent and skilful media litigator who gets straight to the point and fights hard for her clients’. Katie Wheatley and Martin Rackstraw have expertise in the defence of journalists accused of crimes. Representative clients include the National Union of Journalists, Index on Censorship and Undercover TV.

Legal 500 2015 – Media and Entertainment

The media and entertainment team at Bindmans LLP is led by the ‘smart, insightful, considerate and professional’ Tamsin Allen, whose highlights included defending the pianist James Rhodes in an action brought by his ex-wife for an injunction to prevent the publication of his memoir. Allen also represented the actor Steve McFadden in a damages claim against the Metropolitan Police and News Group Newspapers for the misuse of private information.

Legal 500 2015 – Defamation and Privacy

Thank you and your brilliant team for the assistance and support provided in my libel case. I will forever maintain kind thoughts for you and your excellent team.

Les Austin

They are extremely responsive, accessible, clear and concise.

Bindmans LLP Client

Meet the team

Tamsin Allen
Partner

Head of Media and Information Law

Monika Sobiecki
Partner

Media and Information Law

Axel Landin
Associate

Media and Information Law

Isobel Hubner
Trainee Solicitor

Media and Information

How can we help you?

We are here to help. If you have any questions for us, please get in touch below.