Defamation/Libel and Reputation Management
"exceptionally formidable in representing its clients"
"...down-to-earth and approachable style - they offer a sense of humour, which enables them to discuss even sensitive issues with diplomacy."
Chambers and Partners Guide to the Legal Profession 2005
Reputations are precious. They can take a lifetime to establish, yet can be destroyed with just a few words.
Police officers’ reputations matter because a police service cannot function effectively unless it is trusted and respected by the public. The reputation of the police service is a complicated compound of each individual police officer’s reputation.
That is why the Police Federation is virtually unique among membership organisations in the support which it provides to its members in defamation cases. It has long recognised that this forms a vital component of the legal services it offers.
Defamation occurs when someone says, writes or broadcasts something which will make people think badly of you or your business, damaging your reputation and feelings.
Our highly regarded defamation team is one of the most successful in the country dedicated to protecting reputations and restoring them when they are damaged.
We are experienced in safeguarding our clients’ rights to privacy and confidentiality, and since the advent of the Human Rights Act 1998, this has been an area of the law which has grown and developed in importance for police officers.
We also regularly advise police officers and Federation officials on press statements, and frequently assist in trying to keep defamatory stories out of the media. We are well known to all the major media organisations through our dealings with them on behalf of police officers over many years, and they take our involvement in a case or an article seriously.
We appreciate that different clients look for different results. You may be seeking financial compensation. Sometimes you will simply wish to establish the truth and clear your name or defend yourself against claims made by others.
We are renowned litigators, but litigation isn't the only route. We regularly solve clients’ problems without the need for court action and have a reputation as successful, pragmatic and forceful negotiators. We have also achieved some excellent results for police officers through mediation.
If you think you have a claim for defamation please call Jeremy Clarke-Williams on 020 7339 6584.
Jeremy heads the team based in our London office which specialises in advising Police Federation members on their defamation claims.
