Mishcon de Reya LLP

James Libson

James is the Managing Partner of Mishcon de Reya. He is a litigator who acts mainly for individuals and families in global commercial disputes, and employment and reputation matters. He has been involved in a number of the highest profile cases of the last 20 years, including acting for Deborah Lipstadt in her defence of the claim brought against her by the holocaust denier, David Irving (which case was made into a film, Denial); for Gina Miller in both her recent Supreme Court challenges relating to Article 50 and, in 2019, prorogation; for the Jewish Labour Movement in its referral of the Labour Party to the EHRC; and for several other politicians of all hues over the last 15 years or so. He received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Law in 2018. James was appointed Managing Partner in 2020, with responsibility for the overall operational management of the law firm. James has sat as a trustee and chaired several charities, particularly in the refugee space and currently chairs Prism, the Gift Fund, a charity that seeks to increase the flow of funds to the philanthropic sector.  

Emma Woollcott

Emma is a Partner in Mishcon Private and Head of the Reputation Protection and Crisis Management group. She advises individuals, companies and charities on defamation, breach of confidence, invasion of privacy, harassment and data protection concerns. She is particularly adept in digital technology and online publications, often advising in times of crisis and in the context of wider disputes. Emma provides claimants and defendants with pre- and post-publication advice, including obtaining, defending and discharging injunctions. Her clients span a wide range of geographies and industries, including media and entertainment, technology, financial services, politics, publishing, art, property, sport, fashion, education and the charity sector. She regularly trains journalists and PR and other professional advisors on publication concerns. Emma takes a holistic approach to Reputation Protection, encouraging clients to prepare in advance for potential challenges, and effectively mitigating any damage caused by negative publicity. She has experience of commercial litigation in a range of forums, often acting for international clients in complex disputes. Emma also has experience working with charities, providing strategic focus to their campaigns and their dealings with government. Recognised as outstanding in her field by Spears Wealth Management's Index for Reputation Protection lawyers and shortlisted as Spears Reputation lawyer of the year, Emma is described as a trusted advisor in Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500. She was included in Management Today's 35 Women Under 35; listed in the 100 LGBT+ Executives as part of the OUTstanding LGBT+ Role Models 2018, ranked in the Telegraph's LGBT Top 50 Executives in 2015 & 2016, and celebrated in the Pride Power List 2016, 2017 and 2018. Emma founded Mishcon's Pride Network, and set up the firm's sponsorship of Pink Law, a pro bono legal advice service for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community. Emma was a founding trustee of Action Breaks Silence, a charity that exists to empower women and girls and to educate boys, and is working internationally to tackle gender-based violence.