Schillings hails Radmacher ruling as more than just financial opportunity

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 16:27:59 GMT

Schillings has revealed that a landmark legal ruling made by the Supreme Court has given significant strength to the rights of couples ahead of marriage to divide their assets in the event that the marriage breaks down.

The Supreme Court decided that prenuptial agreements should be given 'decisive weight' in divorce proceedings, rather than merely being taken into account alongside a number of other factors such as the standard of life enjoyed during the marriage and the earning capacity of the parties.

Commenting on the ruling, Keith Schilling, founder and senior partner at Schillings, the leading privacy and family law firm, said: "This decision offers couples more than just an opportunity to establish financial arrangements in the event of relationship breakdown. At a time when big money divorces seem to be of huge interest to the media, pre-nuptial agreements can also be used as a privacy tool to prevent either party from spilling the beans about the marriage."

Pre-nups can provide for a fair division of property assets before a marriage takes place, protect existing or inherited wealth and can also avoid contested divorce proceedings. Financial proceedings following divorce now take place in the presence of the press and a marital contract can avoid that.

For many, this decision will be viewed favourably and seen as a positive step forward - an acknowledgment that those entering into marriage are adults and capable of deciding how their marriage should end (in the event that it does).

For some, however, pre-nups raise the spectre of fiancés blinded by love signing away their rights to a fair financial settlement in the event of a future divorce.

Rachel Atkins, Schillings Family team, commented: "On the plus side, married couples can now regulate the division of their assets on divorce even before they are married and their finances need not be subjected to media scrutiny during a divorce hearing. However, there is potential for the financially weaker party, often the wife, getting a raw deal as they may have made a real contribution to the family finances but under the marriage contract agreed not to receive any part of it. Was it right therefore, that the panel of the Supreme Court be made up of eight men and one woman? It is also profoundly unromantic."

Davina Hay, Schillings Family team, added: "We expect it to lead to pre-nups being much more widely used as they are on the continent and in much of the United States. The greater weight now attached to pre-nups means that married couples can now move to regulate the division of their finances on divorce even before they are married. Ironically, wives are more likely to be disadvantaged by marriage contracts yet in this case it was a wife who changed the law."

Notes to Editors:
Case number: [2010] UKSC 42

About Schillings:
Schillings is one of Britain's top law firms dedicated to safeguarding the reputations of international corporations, brands, celebrities and high-profile business people. The firm's track-record in defamation, privacy law and divorce law, as well as commercial dispute resolution and media management is second to none.

Defamation, privacy and copyright are at the heart of the firm's work, prompting The Independent newspaper to call Schillings a "spectacularly efficient media law firm."

Schillings clients include supermodel Naomi Campbell, actress Nicole Kidman, seven times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, premiership footballer Wayne Rooney, Harry Potter author JK Rowling, pharmaceuticals maker GlaxoSmithKline, steel maker Arcelor Mittal, the Harrods Group and the London Stock Exchange.

Schillings announces Stelios win in Ryanair libel battle

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:19:03 GMT

Schillings law firm has announced that Sir Stelios Haji-loannou has won his libel battle against Michael O’Leary and Ryanair.

Sir Stelios, the founder of easyJet and the easyGroup business empire, accepted a complete apology and retraction from O'Leary and Ryanair over a series of libelous adverts in January and February this year which portrayed Sir Stelios as a "Pinocchio" character and alleged he had "hidden the truth" about easyJet’s on-time statistics. By doing so, they alleged he had lied when he had not.

In settlement of the claim, O'Leary and Ryanair have taken out advertisements in The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph apologising to Sir Stelios for including him in the original advertisements.

In an agreed statement read in the High Court this morning, Sir Stelios' lawyers Schillings said: "Mr. O’Leary and Ryanair accept that the advertisements should not have been published referring to Sir Stelios and have made a complete offer to settle his claim. In doing so they fully accept that Sir Stelios did not lie about the matter."

The Claim was issued after Sir Stelios' complaint about the original adverts was met with a robust and public response from O'Leary and Ryanair. After challenging Sir Stelios to a race around Trafalgar Square or a Sumo Wrestling Competition to resolve the dispute, O'Leary and Ryanair have now agreed to pay damages, legal costs and undertake not to repeat the claim in addition to the public apologies.

Commenting on the settlement Sir Stelios said: "This was an unpleasant personal attack on me by a large public company, made worse by the way O'Leary responded to the legal complaints. I am pleased the law provides protection to individuals like me from unpleasant attacks on reputations from large corporations like Ryanair."

Schillings partner Rachel Atkins led the team representing Sir Stelios and was assisted by Chris Scott. Michael Bloch QC of Wilberforce Chambers and David Sherborne of 5RB were briefed.

Notes to Editors:
Case number: HQ10 D00565

About Schillings:
Schillings is one of Britain's top law firms dedicated to safeguarding the reputations of international corporations, brands, celebrities and high-profile business people. The firm's track-record in defamation, privacy law and copyright cases, as well as commercial dispute resolution and reputation management is second to none.

Defamation, privacy and copyright are at the heart of the firm's work, prompting The Independent newspaper to call Schillings a "spectacularly efficient media law firm."

Schillings recommend key changes to privacy and reputation protection

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 10:42:17 GMT

Schillings, the leading law firm protecting the privacy and reputations of businesses and high-profile individuals, has released the findings of its recent research entitled - 'A private life in the public eye'. The research report sets out a 'Blueprint for change' to help people protect their privacy and reputation without compromising the vital principle of freedom of expression. The launch of the report coincides with the Government's DCMS Select Committee's comprehensive report into Press Standards, Privacy and Libel.

The overarching aim of the research was to discover what it means to be in the public eye today and where the line should be drawn to separate the part of a person's life that should remain private. The key areas of interest included: Attitudes towards privacy; Importance of legal measures; Due prominence of apologies; The effectiveness of the Press Complaints Commission; Dissatisfaction with press reporting; Prior notification and the future challenges facing reputation protection.

The research provides evidence that people are dissatisfied with the current position regarding reputation and privacy. The opinions of the audience presented in the report do not necessarily represent those of Schillings. An area of common ground is the view showing that whilst it is important to permit publication of matters that are genuinely in the public interest, too often reputations are damaged, and privacy invaded, by the publication of stories that are untrue, or where the main aim is to satisfy salacious curiosity about the lives of the rich and famous irrespective of the distress caused to them, their families and their friends.

Gideon Benaim, Partner at Schillings, who led the research project commented: "Schillings has been at the forefront of developing privacy law in this country and has set legal precedent providing everyone the right of protection in respect of their home life, their children and medical information, as well as other areas considered private. This means their private life should not be reported by the press unless it is truly a matter in the public interest. However, in some areas we find the media don't make the correct distinction between 'public interest' and 'of interest to the public' which are quite different concepts."

Schillings concluded that the aims of existing laws are sound. But in practice, they frequently fail to achieve a satisfactory balance between the public interest, the truth and privacy. The report recommends three key reforms to reputation laws under the proposal called the 'Blueprint for change'; each of which are supported by the recommendations in the DCMS report.

- The press should have to notify people before publishing stories that will seriously invade their privacy.
- It should be easier to obtain injunctions preventing the publication of untrue allegations.
- Introduce a pre-publication system to resolve disputes.

Senior Partner Keith Schilling commented: "There is currently widespread discussion in the media and within Parliament regarding privacy and libel reform, however this discussion has been heavily weighted in the media's interest. With the DCMS's report and our own research we are able to put forward the view that there needs to be an improvement in press standards. More importantly, the right we all have to a private life, as set out by our Supreme Court needs to be respected."

- END -

About Schillings
Schillings is one of Britain's top law firms dedicated to the reputation protection of international corporations, brands, celebrities and high-profile business people. T

Keith Schilling appearing at Cambridge Union to debate press freedom

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:19:48 GMT

Schillings, the UK law firm dedicated to protecting the reputations of international corporations, brands and high-profile individuals, will be taking part in a Cambridge Union debate on press freedom.

Keith Schilling, one of Britain's most sought after lawyers for his work in defamation and privacy, joins Max Mosley and James Price QC to complete a line-up of experts in what promises to be a thought provoking debate on the motion - 'This house believes the British press has too much freedom'.

Opposing the motion will be David Leigh, Investigations Editor at the Guardian, author, Tom Bower, and Alex Thomsom, Channel 4 News Correspondent.

The Cambridge Union Society is the oldest and most prestigious student debating society in the world. Founded in 1815, it has welcomed speakers from across the world and across generations. From Prime Ministers to archbishops, from generals to Presidents, the Society has hosted giants from all walks of life.

The Cambridge Union is well known for its contentious debates with high profile figures who are asked to passionately defend what they believe in. The panel open themselves to discussion with union members on contemporary issues that often reflect what's going on in the media.

Preparing for the debate Keith Schilling said: "I am really looking forward to debating this important and topical issue, particularly in such auspicious premises. Whilst freedom of expression is fundamental to any democracy, there are insufficient checks on the media's freedom which can result in significant and often irreparable harm."

The debate will take place at 8pm on Thursday 21st January at the Union building in Cambridge.

About Schillings:
Schillings is one of Britain's top media law firms dedicated to reputation protection and safeguarding the rights of international corporations and brands, high-profile business people and those in the public eye. The firm's 25 year track-record in defamation, privacy law and copyright cases together with family law, matrimonial and commercial dispute resolution is second to none, prompting The Independent newspaper to call Schillings a "spectacularly efficient media law firm".

Schillings clients include entertainer Madonna, supermodel Naomi Campbell, actress Kate Winslet, seven times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, international footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Potter author JK Rowling, pharmaceuticals maker GlaxoSmithKline, steel maker Arcelor Mittal, the Harrods Group and the London Stock Exchange.

Schillings Academy welcomes Professor Gavin Phillipson

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:22:22 GMT

Schillings, the leading law firm protecting the privacy and reputations of corporates and high-profile individuals, has announced that privacy and freedom of expression expert, Professor Gavin Phillipson will join as a tutor at the Schillings Academy.

Professor Gavin Phillipson will deliver the Advanced Privacy module over four months, covering topics including the philosophical values that underlie the notion of privacy as a fundamental right. He will also be covering comparative perspectives on privacy and freedom of speech.

A Professor at Durham Law School and a Senior Fellow at Melbourne University's Centre for Media and Communications Law, Professor Gavin Phillipson is regarded as a leading expert on privacy. Mr Justice Eady recently recommended that attendees read Professor Phillipson's recent article entitled 'Max Mosley Goes to Strasbourg' whilst speaking at a law conference in December 2009. Professor Phillipson is the author of several leading articles on civil liberties and the Human Rights Act, as well as co-author of two books and co-editor of a leading edited collection. His most important contribution has been in the area of the development of a common law right to privacy on which he has published several influential articles.

Speaking about his involvement with the Schillings Academy, Professor Gavin Phillipson said: "I am delighted to be invited to be part of this remarkable programme of development and am looking forward to working with some of the leading lawyers in the field of privacy. I'm particularly looking forward to exploring, in discussion during the Academy, some of the opposing arguments to those professionally advanced by claimant lawyers such as Schillings."

Keith Schilling said: "It is a testament to the high quality of education the Schillings Academy is delivering that we have attracted such a well respected lecturer in privacy and freedom of expression to join our programme. The skills and specialist knowledge we are delivering through the Schillings Academy enable us to have the most talented, experienced and qualified solicitors practicing libel and privacy law."

Keith also said: "We have continued to recruit solicitors whilst many other firms have had to downsize their businesses recently. The Schillings Academy is providing all our talent a unique programme and encouraging the very best to join our growing Firm, in addition to retaining our existing exceptional people."

- END -

Notes to Editors:
About Professor Gavin Phillipson:
He is author of several recent leading articles on civil liberties and the Human Rights Act (HRA). His 'Transforming Breach of Confidence? Towards a common law right to privacy under the Human Rights Act' (2003) 66(5) Modern Law Review 726, has been cited with approval by the House of Lords in Naomi Campbell v Mirror Group Newspapers (2004), by the New Zealand Court of Appeal in Hoskings v Runtings (2004) and by the UK Court of Appeal in Douglas and Zeta-Jones v Hello! (2005).

His analysis of Strasbourg case law in his book Media Freedom under the Human Rights Act (2006), (co-author Helen Fenwick) has been used by the Court of Appeal in the important decision in McKennit v Ash 2006] EWCA Civ 1714.

About The Schillings Academy:
The Schillings Academy was launched in June 2009 to celebrate the Firm's 25th anniversary and is an advanced and unique course providing unparalleled training to solicitors at the firm.

The four main components of Schillings Academy for qualified lawyers will be advanced modules on defamation; privacy and confidence; advocacy and related reputation management and protection laws.

About Schillings:

Schillings grows family department to meet increasing client demand

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:01:10 GMT

Schillings, the leading law firm protecting the rights and reputations of corporate organisations, high-profile individuals and those in the public eye, has increased its family department to meet the growing demand from its clients, particularly those who want to ensure their family and matrimonial matters are not publicised by the media.

Schillings has recently recruited Davina Hay to join its family law department alongside Keith Schilling, Rachel Atkins and David Greer. A litigator with expertise in family law, Davina advises on separation, divorce and ancillary relief, jurisdictional disputes, multi-jurisdictional divorce cases involving significant assets and enforcement issues. Before she joined Schillings, Davina trained and qualified at a City law firm where she spent six years acting for a number of well known actors, successful entrepreneurs and international clients. She brings with her extensive experience as a litigator and enhances the firm's provision of advice to high net-worth and high profile individuals in all aspects of divorce, relationship breakdown, ancillary relief, pre- and post-nuptial agreements and private children matters.

Schillings' family department is led by Keith Schilling, the founder and senior partner of the firm, who represented Shan Lambert in her successful appeal in 2002, achieving the first 50/50 split of assets in a "big money" divorce.

Working alongside Mr Schilling is Partner Rachel Atkins who earlier this year, together with Associate David Greer, acted for a celebrity father in a test case following the introduction of new rules allowing media attendance in family proceedings, and succeeded in application to exclude the media from attending court hearings concerning his child.

When speaking about the growing family department Keith Schilling said, "In the last few years we have seen a significant increase in the demand for advice from high net worth and high profile individuals in connection with matters relating to divorce, often involving multiple jurisdictions, children and most notably pre- and post-nuptial agreements."

Mr Schilling went on to say, "High net worth individuals and those in the public eye regularly discover their privacy has been invaded or their reputation defamed when details of their personal lives or the breakdown of their relationship are leaked to the press and publicised. It is logical, therefore, to respond to the demand from our clients by strengthening our team and combining our family and matrimonial advice with the firm's pre-eminent experience in the area of reputation protection, so that we can ensure that press interest is managed to our client's advantage."

Speaking about the press interest surrounding high net worth individuals and those in the public eye Davina Hay said, "Clients, even those without a high public profile, are increasingly finding themselves the subject of intrusive press interest following relationship breakdown or in the event of disputes involving children. Aside from the unwanted emotional strain at an already stressful time, the financial consequences of the resulting reputational damage can be devastating. However, it is possible to manage such threats and give clients the space to resolve family issues free from unwanted media scrutiny."

- END -

About Schillings:
Schillings is one of Britain's top law firms dedicated to safeguarding the rights and reputations of international corporations and brands, high-profile business people and those in the public eye. The firm's 25 year track-record in defamation, privacy law and copyright cases togethe

Schillings sets legal precedent with Kate Winslet libel win

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:44:19 GMT

Schillings, has set a new precedent in Offer of Amends following Kate Winslet’s successful libel action against the Daily Mail in response to an article which falsely alleged that Miss Winslet had publicly lied about her exercise regime.

On 30 January 2009, the Daily Mail published an article with the headline "Should Kate Winslet win an Oscar for the World’s most irritating actress?", The article was published just three weeks before the famous Academy Awards 2009 Oscar evening. The article contained a defamatory and untrue allegation that Miss Winslet had publicly lied about her exercise regime.

In order to protect her reputation and defend her own integrity surrounding body/weight issues Miss Winslet took legal action by issuing libel proceedings against Associated Newspapers, the publishers of the Daily Mail.

In response to those proceedings, the Daily Mail accepted that the allegation it made was completely false and that it had no defence to the subsequent legal proceedings brought by Miss Winslet. In addition to agreeing to print an apology The Daily Mail also agreed to pay substantial damages of £25,000 to Miss Winslet and to pay her legal costs.

In apologising the Daily Mail stated "We accept that Miss Winslet was not being duplicitous in making her comments or seeking to deliberately mislead about her exercise regime. We apologise for any distress caused".

This decision clarifies that in Offer of Amends situations, claimants, in this instance Miss Winslet, have the right to appropriate vindication through the process of a Statement in Open Court.

A spokesperson for Schillings, the lawyers representing Miss Winslet, read out the Statement in Open Court.

Schillings commented: "Miss Winslet has frequently asserted the right of women to accept the way they look and by accusing her of trying to mislead the public, the Daily Mail caused her a great deal of distress. It was simply not true.

"We are pleased we have been able to achieve this result for Miss Winslet, a result which will continue to benefit clients bringing libel proceedings in the future."

Miss Winslet said: "I am delighted that the Mail have apologised for making false allegations about me. I was particularly upset to be accused of lying about my exercise regime and felt that I had a responsibility to request an apology in order to demonstrate my commitment to the views that I have always expressed about body issues, including diet and exercise. I strongly believe that women should be encouraged to accept themselves as they are, so to suggest that I was lying was an unacceptable accusation of hypocrisy."

- END -

Notes to editors
Claim number: HQ09X01191
A copy of the Statement in Open Court is available from the Schillings website

About Schillings, solicitors to Kate Winslet:
Schillings is one of Britain's top law firms dedicated to the reputation protection of international corporations, brands, celebrities and high-profile business people. The firm's track-record in defamation, privacy and copyright cases, as well as commercial dispute resolution is second to none.

Defamation privacy and copyright are at the heart of the firm's work, prompting The Independent newspaper to call Schillings a "spectacularly efficient media law firm."

Schillings clients include the recording artist Madonna, supermodel Naomi Campbell, seven times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, Harry Potter author JK Rowling, pharmaceuticals maker GlaxoSmithKline, steel maker Arcelor Mittal, the Harro

Schillings announce libel claim win for Michael Essien against The People

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:02:25 GMT

The Chelsea premiership footballer Michael Essien, represented by London law firm Schillings, has won his libel claim against the People newspaper.

Libel proceedings were issued against MGN Limited, the publisher of the People newspaper, following the publication of two articles. The first article, published on 25 May 2008, carried the headline "Chelsea Cheat Michael Essien: I'll Stand by my Love Child". This was followed by another article on 3 May 2009 under the headline "Sex Cheat Star Essien Gets Boot".

The articles claimed that Mr Essien had cheated on his long term partner by having numerous affairs with other women and fathered a child behind his partner's back. As a result, his partner had called off their wedding. These allegations were found to be false and grossly defamatory towards Mr Essien.

The People has accepted that these allegations are untrue, and has paid Mr Essien substantial damages as well as agreeing to pay his legal costs. The People have also undertaken not to repeat the allegations.

In its apology, the People said: "On 25 May 2008 and 3 May 2009 we reported that Michael Essien had cheated on his long term girlfriend Nadia Buari by having numerous affairs behind her back including one in which he fathered a child. On 3 May we reported that as a result of his behaviour Ms Buari called their wedding off. We now accept that these allegations are untrue. We apologise to Mr Essien for any distress or embarrassment caused."

A representative of Schillings who represented Michael Essien said: "There has been a lot of inaccurate reporting concerning Michael and he was not prepared to allow this misreporting to continue."

Schillings also said that, "these allegations were not put to Michael or his representatives prior to publication and had the People done so they would have been informed of their utter falsity."

Caroline McAteer of The Sports PR Company said on behalf of Michael Essien: "Michael is delighted to have won his case and to have set the record straight. He would have preferred not to take action, but had no alternative in this case. Michael is pleased that this matter has now been resolved."

- END -

Notes to Editors:
Case number HQ09X02164

About Schillings:
Schillings is one of Britain's top law firms specialising in reputation management for footballers, their clubs and other sports personalities. They also help protect corporate reputations, brands, celebrities and high-profile business people. The firm's track-record in defamation, privacy law and copyright cases, as well as commercial dispute resolution is second to none.

Defamation privacy and copyright are at the heart of the firm's work, prompting The Independent newspaper to call Schillings a "spectacularly efficient media law firm."

Shillings win apology and damages for Olivier Martinez from The Sun

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:36:27 GMT

Oliver Martinez, represented by London law firm Schillings and Paris law firm Asmar & Assayag has won his libel action against The Sun, at the High Court in London, following the publication of false allegations that Mr. Martinez cheated on Kylie Minogue during their relationship.

On 26 November 2007, The Sun published an article under the headline "Kylie 'still loves' ex Martinez" which contained the defamatory and untrue allegation that Mr Martinez had cheated on Kylie Minogue. In order to vindicate his reputation Mr. Martinez issued libel proceedings against News Group Newspapers Limited in relation to the article.

A representative of Schillings said that: "This false allegation has caused Mr. Martinez considerable embarrassment and distress."

They also said that: "Mr. Martinez is glad that The Sun has accepted that the allegations are false and that the article should never have been published at all".

In the High Court in London The Sun newspaper apologised to Mr. Martinez, agreed to publish an apology in the newspaper and to pay damages and legal costs.

The Sun's lawyer said: "The Defendant sincerely apologises to the Claimant for the distress and embarrassment this article has caused. It accepts that the allegations are untrue and ought never to have been published."

- END -

Notes to editors:
Case number: HQ08X02862

About Schillings, solicitors to Olivier Martinez:
Schillings is one of Britain's top law firms dedicated to safeguarding the reputations of international corporations, brands, celebrities and high-profile business people. The firm's track-record in defamation, privacy and copyright cases, as well as commercial dispute resolution is second to none.

Defamation privacy and copyright are at the heart of the firm's work, prompting The Independent newspaper to call Schillings a "spectacularly efficient media law firm."

Schillings win apology and substantial damages for Madonna from The Mail on Sunday

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:29:14 GMT

Madonna, represented by Schillings law firm, has won her privacy legal action against The Mail on Sunday at the High Court in London, following their unlawful publication of private photographs of her wedding. The Mail on Sunday has publicly apologised to Madonna and agreed to pay her substantial damages.

On 19 October 2008, The Mail on Sunday published Madonna's private wedding photographs with no authorization, on its front page with the words: "World Exclusive Never Before Seen Pictures of Madonna and Guy's Wedding. Full Story and Pictures Pages 14-17", just 3 days after Madonna had announced she was divorcing. Further photographs were published in a double page spread inside the newspaper with the words "World Exclusive Pictures". In total 10 photographs of Madonna's wedding were published. The Mail on Sunday article also stated that Madonna's wedding was "The Celebrity Event of the Year though no photographers were allowed in, and until today no pictures have ever been published."

Madonna's lawyer, John Kelly of Schillings, told the London High Court:

"The Mail on Sunday did not provide Madonna with any warning that it intended to publish her private wedding photographs. Had it done so, she would have sought and obtained an injunction preventing publication of the wedding photographs to prevent her privacy from being invaded."

Associated Newspapers Limited, the publishers of The Mail on Sunday, has admitted liability for breaching Madonna's privacy and copyright infringement, has consented to judgment being entered against it and has destroyed all copies of the infringing photographs in its possession.

Associated Newspapers accepts, "that it was wrong to act in this way" and has offered "its sincere apologies to Madonna and her family for invading her privacy and infringing her copyright by publishing her wedding photographs without her consent".

Mr Kelly told Mr Justice Peter Smith, "Associated Newspapers is here to publicly apologise to Madonna", and, "As a mark of its regret, Associated Newspapers has also agreed to publish an apology in the Mail on Sunday and to pay Madonna substantial damages as well as her legal costs."

A spokeswoman for Madonna said: "Madonna intends to donate the damages to her charity Raising Malawi whose aim is to bring an end to the extreme poverty and hardship endured by Malawi's two million orphans and vulnerable children."

- END -

Notes to Editors:
Raising Malawi is a charitable foundation co founded by Madonna which provides immediate direct physical assistance, creates long-term sustainability, education and psycho-social programs for the two million orphans affected by Aids in Malawi.

About Schillings:
Schillings is one of Britain's top law firms dedicated to safeguarding the reputations of international corporations, brands, celebrities and high-profile business people. The firm's track-record in defamation, privacy and copyright cases, as well as commercial dispute resolution is second to none.

Defamation, privacy and copyright are at the heart of the firm's work, prompting The Independent newspaper to call Schillings a "spectacularly efficient media law firm."

Schillings to participate on the panel session at the 2009 Reputation Conference

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:18:58 GMT

Schillings, the leading law firm protecting individual and corporate reputations, will be taking part in a panel discussion, chaired by Dr Kevin Money Associate Professor and Director of the John Madejski Centre for Reputation, at the 2009 Reputation Conference.

Keith Schilling is Senior Partner and Co-Founder of Schillings and is a Solicitor-Advocate. He is one of the most sought after reputation management lawyers in Britain due to his work in defamation and privacy and in 2008 he was placed 10th in the Times list of the 100 most powerful and influential lawyers in England for his work in achieving a number of landmark decisions in privacy law. He has helped to protect the reputations of film, sports and entertainment stars as well as international corporations and business executives.

Keith Schilling, joins a panel of experts in protecting reputations to answer the question 'Future avenues for building reputation. Where do we go from here?' The panel will close the conference with a review of the learnings from the day and discuss how organisations should prepare themselves for the future challenges in managing reputations and corporate responsibility.

As a new decade approaches, the conference will examine the challenges of managing reputation and relationships in times of organisational change and will consider the lessons learnt from recent corporate scandals in the management of reputation.

Through the course of the programme the speakers, including Willie Walsh Chief Executive of British Airways and the Right Honourable Michael Portillo, aim to answer a series of questions on the key social and business trends impacting on organisational reputations, the role of corporate responsibility in promoting reputations and how companies should plan for the future in terms of building reputations and strengthening relationships with key stakeholders.

The Reputation Conference, organised by The John Madejski Centre for Reputation, will take place on Tuesday 13 October at Henley Business School and is in association with PR Week.

- END -

About Schillings:
Schillings is one of Britain's top law firms dedicated to safeguarding the reputations of international corporations, brands, celebrities and high-profile business people. The firm's track-record in defamation, privacy law and copyright cases, as well as commercial litigation is second to none.

Defamation, privacy and copyright are at the heart of the firm's work, prompting The Independent newspaper to call Schillings a "spectacularly efficient media law firm".

Schillings clients include supermodel Naomi Campbell, seven times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, Harry Potter author JK Rowling, pharmaceuticals maker GlaxoSmithKline, leading investment bank Kaupthing, steel maker Arcelor Mittal, the Harrods Group and the London Stock Exchange.

Schillings client Jacob Zuma awarded damages and apology from the Guardian

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:23:58 GMT

Schillings client Jacob Zuma, the president of South Africa, has won very substantial damages after a libel case against the Guardian newspaper following false allegations printed earlier this year.

On 6 March 2009, the Manchester based newspaper published an article that falsely claimed that President Zuma was guilty of rape, corruption and bribery. President Zuma began legal action against the daily newspaper earlier this year claiming defamation, saying the article was grossly false and indefensible.

After being taken to court, the Guardian has apologised to the ANC leader and agreed to pay very substantial damages as well as cover legal costs.

In a statement read in the High Court on 30 July 2009, Schillings solicitor Jenny Afia described the allegations as being "of the utmost seriousness and totally untrue". She went on to explain that: "In light of the facts that the [Guardian] is now willing to pay very substantial damages and it has publicly apologised to [President Zuma], [President Zuma] considers that his reputation in this matter has been entirely vindicated and he is prepared not to proceed any further in his action against the [Guardian]."

Speaking from Mahlambandlovu last night, the president’s official residence in Pretoria, President Zuma said: "What was said was extremely serious, not just for me but for the ANC. I am very pleased that the Guardian has now apologised. I firmly believe in press freedom and freedom of expression. I have fought for these and other basic rights my whole life and I will continue to support this. We had to take action in this matter because the publication crossed the line. Media around the world are obliged to exercise their freedom of speech in a responsible manner."

About Schillings:
Schillings is one of Britain's top law firms dedicated to reputation management and the safeguarding of international corporations, brands, celebrities and high-profile business people. The firm's track-record in media management, privacy law and copyright cases, as well as commercial dispute resolution and sports law is second to none.

Defamation, privacy and copyright are at the heart of the firm's work, prompting The Independent newspaper to call Schillings a "spectacularly efficient media law firm".

Schillings clients include supermodel Naomi Campbell, actress Kate Winslet, seven times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, premiership footballer Wayne Rooney, Harry Potter author JK Rowling, pharmaceuticals maker GlaxoSmithKline, steel maker Arcelor Mittal, the Harrods Group and the London Stock Exchange.

Court case number: HQ09X01290

Schillings take first place at the Lawyer Awards 2009

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:25:54 GMT

Once again Schillings has reason to celebrate the successes of their legal team as one of its lawyers, Matthew Himsworth, wins first place in the Assistant Solicitor of the Year category at the Lawyer Awards ceremony.

Matthew Himsworth is an associate at Schillings and specialises in reputation protection on behalf of corporations, brands and public figures. He has developed his career over the last seven years, having trained with Schillings, and has built a strong profile both within the firm and externally within the legal profession and with clients.

The award is presented to the solicitor who has demonstrated entrepreneurship, business building skills and technical legal skills. Matthew's commitment to both the firm and its clients extends beyond his core role and is evident in the numerous projects he has initiated. In particular he developed the firm's trainee coaching programme with the objective to provide full training in the practical legal tools as well as promoting thought-leadership on relevant topics. This training programme helps prepare trainees so that when they qualify they can build upon their legal technical know-how by enrolling in the Schillings Academy.

Matthew's highest profile success was for the stock broking firm, Collins Stewart in its well documented libel action against the Financial Times. This was the largest claim ever brought and Matthew helped achieve a ground-breaking apology on the front page of the Companies and Markets section along with and substantial damages

Speaking after the awards, Matthew Himsworth said, "It was a great surprise and a huge honour to win the award. It's a tremendous accolade to be recognised by your own profession."

Matthew has received praise from many of his clients, mainly from the firm's sports law practice, which he has been instrumental in developing. Clients commend Himsworth as, "Personable whilst providing clear and sensible advice", and that, "He offers excellent strategic recommendations". One major sporting body went on to state, "We have found Matt to be extremely professional and we are delighted to be associated with him".

This award follows a number of recent achievements at various industry awards. Schillings won first place in the Partner of the Year category in 2008 and has twice been winners of the Niche Firm of the Year (2002 and 2003) at the Lawyer Awards. In addition, the firm won the Young Solicitor of the Year at the British Legal Awards 2008.

About Schillings:
Schillings is one of Britain's top law firms dedicated to safeguarding the reputations of international corporations, brands, celebrities and high-profile business people. The firm's track-record in defamation, privacy law and copyright cases, as well as commercial dispute resolution and sports law is second to none.

Defamation, privacy and copyright are at the heart of the firm's work, prompting The Independent newspaper to call Schillings a "spectacularly efficient media law firm".

Schillings announce the launch of the Schillings Academy

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:18:11 GMT

Schillings the leading law firm protecting the privacy and reputation of corporates and high-profile individuals has launched the Schillings Academy, an advanced and unique course which will provide unparalleled training to staff at the firm.

The Schillings Academy will be delivered in-house and will equip the firm's employees with the skills and specialist knowledge to provide the same excellent client service that the firm's partners have become known for.

The Schillings Academy is the result of two years of development and will concentrate on building excellence in three key areas including advanced legal training for qualified lawyers, enhanced teaching for trainees and commercial skills training for the business support function. The first phase of the Schillings Academy will roll out a two year, 100 hour bespoke training programme in reputation management and privacy law to qualified lawyers currently working at the firm. Additionally the programme will carry CPD points and will ensure that all qualified lawyers exceed their CPD requirements without the need to go on external generic courses.

The four main components of Schillings Academy for qualified lawyers will be advanced modules on defamation, privacy law and confidence and advocacy and related reputation management laws. Working together with leading professors including Professor Gavin Phillipson and the College of Law, the Schillings Academy will foster and harness new ways of thinking on how to approach and deploy the law to achieve the best results for the firm's clients.

Speaking on the firm's 25th anniversary, Keith Schilling, founding partner of Schillings, said: "Schillings is fortunate to have created a reputation over the last 25 years for being at the forefront of privacy and reputation law. The launch of our Schillings Academy demonstrates to our clients our continued commitment to deliver excellence to our clients in everything that we do. It is with great pride that we are launching this market leading initiative, which demonstrates Schillings commitment to providing the best training to its lawyers, with the most advanced knowledge and expertise available. This academy takes the firm into a new season and we look forward to our next 25 years."

About Schillings
Schillings is one of Britain's top law firms dedicated to safeguarding the reputations of international corporations, brands, celebrities and high-profile business people. The firm's 25 year track-record in defamation, privacy law and copyright cases, as well as commercial dispute resolution and sports law, is second to none.

Defamation privacy and copyright are at the heart of the firm's work, prompting The Independent newspaper to call Schillings a "spectacularly efficient media law firm".

Schillings PR contact:
Christopher Mills
Commercial Director
Schillings
41 Bedford Square
London
WC1B 3HX
020 7034 9000
www.schillings.co.uk

Top Articles Tagged with schillings

Schillings hails Radmacher ruling as more than just financial opportunity

Schillings announces Stelios win in Ryanair libel battle

Schillings recommend key changes to privacy and reputation protection

Keith Schilling appearing at Cambridge Union to debate press freedom

Schillings Academy welcomes Professor Gavin Phillipson

Schillings grows family department to meet increasing client demand

Schillings sets legal precedent with Kate Winslet libel win

Schillings announce libel claim win for Michael Essien against The People

Shillings win apology and damages for Olivier Martinez from The Sun

Schillings win apology and substantial damages for Madonna from The Mail on Sunday

Schillings to participate on the panel session at the 2009 Reputation Conference

Schillings client Jacob Zuma awarded damages and apology from the Guardian

Schillings take first place at the Lawyer Awards 2009

Schillings announce the launch of the Schillings Academy