Law firms can be plagued with press speculation, misleading reviews and derogatory articles, both contemporary and from many years ago. Attacks on your firm, your leaders or your employees can negatively impact your financial and business reputation, whilst increased regulatory obligations and scrutiny also creates pitfalls that law firms have to navigate. Our Reputation and Media team here at Kingsley Napley is uniquely equipped to assist law firms with the extensive reputational and media challenges that they can face.
At Kingsley Napley, you can turn to us in a crisis. We are here for you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We are committed to providing you and your business with the assistance needed, no matter how urgent or complex. We have experience of acting for law firms on a broad range of reputation and media issues, frequently collaborating with other specialist teams from across our firm, giving us unparalleled depth in responding to complex situations and tailored to your specific requirements.
Key Services
- Managing press exposure where the business or a member of your business has been the subject of press interest.
- Advising, bringing and defending claims in defamation, privacy, breach of confidence, harassment and malicious falsehood to protect your business interests and those of your leaders and employees.
- Keeping your partners/directors and your employees safe from vexatious attacks.
- Preventing the threatened publication of defamatory, derogatory or malicious material by newspapers, broadcasters or online.
- Dealing with malicious complaints, disgruntled ex-employees, and opportunist competitors.
- Advising in relation to allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace.
- Providing advice on obtaining an injunction and/or criminal sanctions when your business or leaders/employees are subjected to a campaign of harassment.
- Tackling complex blackmail threats against your business, partners, directors and employees.
We offer comprehensive advice in relation to dealings with the press (both legal and non-legal publications), working regularly with renowned PR experts and digital specialists to devise the most effective strategies for tackling adverse media in the traditional press and online.
We are frequently engaged in providing reputation and media advice relating to investigations. We frequently collaborate with our other specialist colleagues to conduct investigations into alleged sexual misconduct or other alleged wrong-doing, or to advise on ongoing investigations carried out internally or by external counsel, to ensure that they are conducted authoritatively, fairly and protect the rights of those involved. We particularly offer expertise in relation to:
- the reputation rights, privacy rights and anonymity rights of (1) complainants (2) respondents and (3) other individuals named in any investigation process;
- minimising the threat of potential defamation, privacy and data protection claims; and,
- appropriate media, internal and external communications strategies as the investigation progresses.
We also provide advice to law firms and their staff in respect of privacy rights and reputational interests in the context of SRA or BSB investigations or other disciplinary/regulatory actions.
We have considerable experience advising law firm clients on how to respond to campaigns of harassment against firms and/or staff, in collaboration with our experienced criminal team. We particularly offer expertise in relation to:
- deterring blackmailers and harassers (having recently acted for a national UK law firm to tackle the serious intimidation of staff by a third party in relation to a case);
- dealing with online harassment, impersonation and fake testimonials; and,
- securing injunctions against blackmailers and harassers
We are highly knowledgeable about issues that have attracted adverse media attention for law firms, such as SLAPPs and the misuse of NDAs, and we provide authoritative and urgent advice from both a regulatory and reputational point of view.
We have a detailed knowledge and breadth and depth of experience of crisis work. We can draw on a range of expert teams at a moment’s notice – including regulatory, criminal, employment – to respond effectively and quickly. We are accustomed to dealing with rapidly developing situations, and our advice is always given with an eye on safeguarding your firm’s and your staff’s reputation even when the immediate crisis has passed.
