England - London • TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
Simons Muirhead Burton
Simons Muirhead Burton handles both contentious and non-contentious publishing work, ranging from books to social media, across to national and international news and content providers, such as ITN and Channel 4. An expert in all areas of publishing, Martin Soames heads up the practice, which has particular expertise in pre-publication matters and litigation – areas in which data protection head Stephen Shotnes is further instructed. Senior associate Emma Linch is recommended for her clearance advice to book publishers, podcasts, online media and film production companies.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The team has a deep knowledge of book publishing.'
‘The team is highly competent and have our trust.’
‘They have experience and work hard to stay on top of developments in the media space, having represented journalists and media outlets in many of the leading media law cases over the last 20 years.'
‘Louis Charalambous has a unique practice defending journalists and media organisations in criminal related media cases - clients value his calm and sensible representation of their interests.'
- 'Raz Mireskandari is a knowledgeable and highly experienced media lawyer.'
- 'Jeffrey Smele has a strong legal intellect and great experience representing tabloid newspapers.’
‘The team are responsive, exceptionally clear in their guidance, and provide the level of reassurance that news teams need in a fast-paced environment.'
‘Gordon Clough has been a rock-solid source of advice and guidance for our editorial team. He is responsive and stands out from the crowd in providing advice that is laser-focused on helping us to publish stories while minimising risk.'
Key clients
- Random House Group / Penguin Books
- News Group Newspapers
- ITN/Channel 4
- Reach plc
- Simon & Schuster
- London Review of Books
- Faber & Faber
- Royal Institute of International Affairs
- Verso Books
Work highlights
- Defending Atlantic Books' publication of ‘Black and Blue’, an exposé of the Met by senior police officer Parm Sandhu.
- Acting for The Sun in the 'Wagatha Christie' trial: Vardy v Rooney.
- Advising Penguin Random House on content issues, including the publication of ‘Spare’ by Prince Harry.
Lawyers
Rising stars
Leading Individuals
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Martin Soames