Payne Hicks Beach LLP

Hanna is a recognised leader in the field of defamation, privacy and breach of confidence, having acted in a number of landmark cases in the High Court. As well as litigation, Hanna has a wealth of experience in media and crisis management and advises clients on strategies for preventing and dealing with significant reputational attacks. She is able to put a responsive strategy in place quickly and effectively when clients are facing unwanted media attention. She skilfully manages media storms. Hanna also acts for her clients in more general litigation, regulatory matters, employment disputes and inquests where maintaining reputation or privacy is key. She has been involved in a number of high profile inquests, disciplinary hearings, employment claims and sports disputes, representing clients in the High Court, before coroners and before governing and regulatory bodies.

Dominic is Head of the Dispute Resolution Department and Privacy & Media Law Team at Payne Hicks Beach. He is a highly experienced litigator who is well known for his specialism in the law of privacy, breach of confidence, defamation and harassment, but the nature of his clients and instructions has led to him being instructed in cases covering a multitude of issues. Clients contact Dominic to resolve complex business and personal disputes, and when they are subject to: unwanted national and international media intrusion, whereby Dominic acts to protect against and investigate malicious reputational attack, and deal with social media misuse; suspected unlawful breach of privacy and loss of confidential information, including by way of phone-hacking or cyber-crime; and stalking, harassment or being threatened. For over two decades he has acted in leading cases for well-known actors, pre-eminent businesspeople and companies, politicians, sportspersons and musicians. He is often instructed at times of crisis, and in relation to sensitive, complex issues for corporate entities and institutions as well as individuals. Inevitably, the majority of Dominic’s work is highly confidential; however, instructions in the public domain include: acting for Princess Haya in her proceedings against Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum (in the High Court and Court of Appeal); representing Steve Coogan; acting in Max Mosley’s case against the News of the World; and the Leveson Inquiry, in which Dominic acted for all of the 53 “Core Participant Victims”. He has acted in groundbreaking privacy claims in all appellate courts including the European Court of Human Rights. Dominic is the author of numerous articles written for the legal press and the media.