Schillings

Last updated

Schillings
Company type Limited liability partnership
Industry Law
FoundedLondon, 1984
Headquarters
London
,
United Kingdom
Area served
United Kingdom, international
Services Legal advice and advocacy
Website schillingspartners.com

Schillings (originally Schilling & Lom) is an international reputation and privacy consultancy staffed by reputation, privacy, risk consulting, cyber security and intelligence specialists. The company is an Alternative Business Structure (ABS) and is regulated and authorized by the United Kingdom's Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). It offers legal services in areas including technology, media and finance. [1] [2]

Contents

History

The firm was founded in 1984 by Keith Schilling and Nicholas Lom and focused largely on media law, libel, and privacy protection. It was called by Index on Censorship "the scourge of many a Fleet Street editor" for obtaining anonymized gagging orders to protect celebrity clients' privacy. [3] In the early 2010s, the firm began to move away from pure media and libel work towards reputation protection for a large corporate, non-celebrity clientele. [4]

In 2012 Schillings acquired the information security firm Vigilante Bespoke. [5] In March 2013 the firm was granted two Alternative Business Structure licenses, one for the Schillings partnership and one for Schillings Corporate Limited which owns Vigilante Bespoke. [6] [7]

The company restructured its organization in September 2013 and is now an integrated legal, risk management, IT security, and investigation business. [8] In 2023, the firm launched Schillings Communications. [9] [10]

Notable cases

In 2004, Schillings helped Lance Armstrong when confronted with doping allegations in the book L. A. Confidentiel , by David Walsh and Pierre Ballester. Schillings was told[ vague ] to tell "every UK paper and broadcaster" to not re-state what was in the book. [11] Gideon Benaim and Matthew Himsworth worked for Schillings on Armstrong's libel actions, [12] including a 2004 defamation suit against The Sunday Times for referencing information in the book. [13]

In 2004, Schillings represented Naomi Campbell in Campbell v MGN Ltd . Campbell was photographed leaving a rehabilitation clinic after public denials that she was a recovering drug addict. Campbell challenged the disclosure of information about the location of her Narcotics Anonymous meetings and the pictures that were used by the Daily Mirror . In March 2002, Campbell was awarded damages of £3500, but the case was overturned by the Court of Appeal six months later. The case was heard on appeal in the House of Lords and won in Campbell's favour through a 3:2 majority. [14]

In May 2008, Keith Schilling won a privacy case in the Court of Appeal for the son of Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling. The case "says children of famous parents have the same right to expect privacy as children of parents who aren't well-known" granting them protection from intrusive photography. [15] [16]

In April and May 2011, Schillings acted for Ryan Giggs in CTB v News Group Newspapers and obtained a "super-injunction" aimed at preventing the publication by The Sun of the details of an alleged extra-marital relationship between Giggs and Imogen Thomas. The case gained widespread media coverage and political discussion in the UK. [17] [18]

In October 2012 Schillings' family division acted for the respondent's husband in the reported case BP v KP and NI. The case included not only companies by which one of the spouses was employed but also former colleagues and associates with whom a spouse was professionally acquainted. [19]

In January 2013 Schillings acted for Ned RocknRoll, husband to Kate Winslet. RocknRoll obtained an order preventing the Sun newspaper from publishing private images of RocknRoll taken from a Facebook page. [20]

In May 2013 Schillings Partner Davina Katz (who subsequently founded Katz Partners LLP) acted for Dale Vince who won his appeal against his ex-wife's claim for maintenance. This was viewed as a landmark judgment that set a precedent for future financial claims that may be made many years after a relationship has ended. [21] [22]

In July 2013 Schillings acted for the author J. K. Rowling who brought proceedings against a lawyer who revealed that she had been writing under a pseudonym. [23]

In 2018, Schillings worked to stop the distribution of the book, Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood, and the World by Tom Wright and Bradley Hope of The Wall Street Journal in the United Kingdom. The tactics used to disrupt distribution to British booksellers included threatening letters and legal missives. Some book vendors were warned about putting the book into the "True Crime" section of bookstores. The campaign against the publication of the book was unsuccessful and bookstores began selling copies on 12 September 2019. [24]

In 2019, Schillings helped Philip Green in his ultimately unsuccessful attempt to have his name kept from appearing in The Daily Telegraph for his use of NDAs. Mr. Justice Warby, presiding in this case, noted that there had been "an unnecessary degree of partner involvement, and a degree of overmanning that cannot be justified."

In 2019 Schillings represented Meghan, Duchess of Sussex in a High Court claim against The Mail on Sunday over alleged misuse of private information, infringement of copyright, and breach of the Data Protection Act 2018. [25] A Mail on Sunday spokesman said the paper stood by the story and would defend the case "vigorously". [26] In February 2021, the Duchess won her case on summary judgment, with the court finding that Associated Newspapers Limited had interfered with the Duchess' reasonable expectation of privacy by publishing the letter. [27] In May 2021, the Duchess won the remainder of her claim for copyright infringement. [28] Associated Newspapers Limited brought an appeal against the decision, calling for a trial, but this was dismissed by the Court of Appeal. [29]

Schillings represented Malaysian fugitive Jho Low who was accused by US prosecutors of a money-laundering scheme connected to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal. [30]

Schillings represented Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, a long-time Vladimir Putin ally until he was placed under sanctions by the European Union due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. [31]

Partners

Former partners

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex</span> British prince (born 1984)

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is a member of the British royal family. As the younger son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales, he is fifth in the line of succession to the British throne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Defamation</span> Any communication that can injure a third partys reputation

Defamation is a communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury. The precise legal definition of defamation varies from country to country. It is not necessarily restricted to making assertions that are falsifiable, and can extend to concepts that are more abstract than reputation – like dignity and honour. In the English-speaking world, the law of defamation traditionally distinguishes between libel and slander. It is treated as a civil wrong, as a criminal offence, or both.

McDonald's Corporation v Steel & Morris[1997] EWHC 366 (QB), known as "the McLibel case", was an English lawsuit for libel filed by McDonald's Corporation against environmental activists Helen Steel and David Morris over a factsheet critical of the company. Each of two hearings in English courts found some of the leaflet's contested claims to be libellous and others to be true.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Carter-Ruck</span> English solicitor (1914–2003)

Peter Frederick Carter-Ruck was an English solicitor, specialising in libel cases. The firm he founded, Carter-Ruck, is still practising.

DMG Media is an intermediate holding company for Associated Newspapers, Northcliffe Media, Harmsworth Printing, Harmsworth Media and other subsidiaries of Daily Mail and General Trust. It is based at 9 Derry Street in Kensington, West London.

Thomas Michael Bower is a British writer and former BBC journalist and television producer. He is known for his investigative journalism and for his unauthorised biographies, often of business tycoons and newspaper proprietors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olswang</span> Law firm

Olswang was an international law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom and with additional offices in Reading, Brussels, Madrid, Paris, Singapore and, since 2011, Munich. It worked closely with a network of firms across eighty countries. The Lawyer ranked the firm 22nd largest in the UK by worldwide turnover in 2010. That year, the firm had over 600 staff, including 97 partners. David Stewart was the firm's chief executive. On 1 May 2017, Olswang merged with CMS Cameron McKenna and Nabarro to form CMS Nabarro Olswang LLP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meghan, Duchess of Sussex</span> American member of the British royal family (born 1981)

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex is an American member of the British royal family, media personality and former actress. She is married to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the younger son of King Charles III.

Mishcon de Reya LLP is a British international law firm with offices in London, Cambridge, Oxford, Singapore, as well as an association with Karas So LLP in Hong Kong. Founded in 1937, it employs more than 1450 people with over 650 lawyers. It is regarded by some as forming part of the "Silver Circle" of leading UK law firms.

Sir David Eady is a retired High Court judge in England and Wales. As a judge, he is known for having presided over many high-profile libel and privacy cases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carole Cadwalladr</span> British investigative journalist (born 1969)

Carole Jane Cadwalladr is a British author, investigative journalist, and features writer. She is a features writer for The Observer and formerly worked at The Daily Telegraph. Cadwalladr rose to international prominence in 2018 for her role in exposing the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal, for which she was a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting, alongside The New York Times reporters.

Modern libel and slander laws in many countries are originally descended from English defamation law. The history of defamation law in England is somewhat obscure; civil actions for damages seem to have been relatively frequent as far back as the Statute of Gloucester in the reign of Edward I (1272–1307). The law of libel emerged during the reign of James I (1603–1625) under Attorney General Edward Coke who started a series of libel prosecutions. Scholars frequently attribute strict English defamation law to James I's outlawing of duelling. From that time, both the criminal and civil remedies have been found in full operation.

Carter-Ruck is a British law firm founded by Peter Carter-Ruck. The firm specialises in libel, privacy, international law and commercial disputes. The leading legal directories rank Carter-Ruck in the top tier of media, defamation and privacy lawyers in the UK.

Mosley v News Group Newspapers [2008] EWHC 1777 (QB) was an English High Court case in which the former President of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, Max Mosley, challenged the News of the World. The newspaper had exposed his involvement in what it called a sadomasochistic sex act involving several female prostitutes when they published a video of the incident recorded by one of the women and published details of the incident in their newspaper, wrongly describing it as "Nazi-themed". The case resulted in Mosley being awarded £60,000 in damages.

Media Defence is a non-governmental organization established in 2008 to provide legal assistance to journalists, citizen journalists and independent media institutions. It also supports training in media law and promotes the exchange of information, litigation tools and strategies for lawyers working on media freedom cases. It is based in London, England and has a global network of media lawyers and media freedom activists with whom it works on cases and projects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Stephens (solicitor)</span> English solicitor

Mark Howard Stephens is an English solicitor specializing in media law, intellectual property rights, freedom of speech and human rights. He is known for representing James Hewitt when allegations of his affair with Diana, Princess of Wales first emerged. In 2010, he represented Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, defending him against an extradition request to Sweden based on suspicion of numerous sexual offences. He also founded the law firm Howard Kennedy LLP, which has represented several high-profile clients in media and entertainment law cases.

Sir Michael George Tugendhat, styled The Hon. Mr Justice Tugendhat, and referred to as Tugendhat J in legal writing, is a retired High Court judge in England and Wales. He was the High Court's senior media judge, taking over that role from Mr Justice Eady on 1 October 2010.

Paul Tweed born in Northern Ireland, is an international lawyer with offices in Belfast, Dublin and London. He is listed in Chambers Legal Guide as a leading lawyer in the field of Defamation and Reputation Management. He is described by Chambers as "synonymous with this type of work" and as a “real legend in this field and a name that everyone knows”.

<i>Finding Freedom</i> 2020 biography

Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of A Modern Royal Family is a biography by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, revolving around the married lives of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The book was written with the Duchess's contribution through a third-party source. It was published on 11 August 2020 by HarperCollins.

John C. Depp, II v. Amber Laura Heard was a trial held in Fairfax County, Virginia, from April 11 to June 1, 2022, that ruled on allegations of defamation between formerly married American actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. Depp, as plaintiff, filed a complaint of defamation against defendant Heard claiming $50 million in damages; Heard filed counterclaims against Depp claiming $100 million in damages.

References

  1. ↑ "Schillings". Legal500. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  2. ↑ "Schillings - People". Schillings. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  3. ↑ "Schillings: Trollhunters General". Index on Censorship. 5 September 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  4. ↑ Beioley, Kate (5 September 2013). "Schillings relaunches as privacy and cyber-security firm | News". The Lawyer. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  5. ↑ "Top media firm and regional practice seeking external cash help take ABS total to over 100". Legal Futures. 5 March 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  6. ↑ Harris, Joanne (11 March 2013). "Schillings bucks trend with media ABSs | News". The Lawyer. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  7. ↑ Harris, Joanne. "Schillings becomes latest firm to gain ABS licence | News". The Lawyer. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  8. ↑ "From celebrity lawyers to reputation defence business – ABS completes transformation". Legal Futures. 6 September 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  9. ↑ Thomas, Daniel (5 September 2023). "Law firm Schillings takes on PR industry by setting up its own company". Financial Times.
  10. ↑ Wilson, Eliot (28 September 2023). "Schillings is creating a new PR division to service wealthy clients – here's why it makes sense". Spear's. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  11. ↑ "David Walsh: 'It was obvious to me Lance Armstrong was doping'". Press Gazette. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  12. ↑ Chadderton, Sam (8 June 2012). "Libel star Benaim quits Schillings | News". The Lawyer. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  13. ↑ "Armstrong v Sunday Times in November". BikeRadar. 1 August 2005. Archived from the original on 24 November 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  14. ↑ "Naomi Campbell wins privacy case". BBC News . UK. 6 May 2004. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  15. ↑ "Harry Potter author wins privacy case". Edinburgh: The Scotsman. 7 May 2008. Archived from the original on 23 September 2009. (Note: Article no longer live in August 2013)
  16. ↑ "Harry Potter author wins privacy case appeal – 13 WTHR Indianapolis". Wthr.com. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  17. ↑ "Gagging Order: MP Names Footballer In Commons". Sky News . UK. 23 May 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  18. ↑ Wilkinson, Peter (23 May 2011). "Social media making mockery of privacy laws". CNN . USA. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  19. ↑ "BP v KP and NI (Financial Remedy Proceedings: Res Judicata) [2012] EWHC 2995 (Fam)". Family Law Week. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  20. ↑ Burton, Lucy. "Success for Schillings as Kate Winslet's husband blocks Sun images | News". The Lawyer. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  21. ↑ Croft, Jane (26 May 2013). "Divorce case could ease life for entrepreneurs". FT.com. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  22. ↑ "BBC News – Ecotricity tycoon Dale Vince wins case against ex-wife". BBC. 8 May 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  23. ↑ Philipson, Alice (31 July 2013). "JK Rowling accepts damages from law firm that revealed her secret identity". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  24. ↑ "The story behind "Billion Dollar Whale"". The Economist . 19 September 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  25. ↑ Furness, Hannah (October 2019). "Prince Harry condemns 'ruthless campaign' against Meghan, saying he lost his mother to 'powerful forces' and fears history repeating". The Telegraph. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  26. ↑ "Meghan sues Mail on Sunday over private letter". BBC News . Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  27. ↑ Guy, Jack (2 December 2021). "Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wins latest court battle with Mail on Sunday publisher". CNN Business. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  28. ↑ "Meghan wins remaining copyright claim over father's letter". BBC News. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  29. ↑ "Meghan wins ruling in Mail on Sunday privacy fight". BBC News. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  30. ↑ "US congressman urges Biden to ban six UK lawyers for 'enabling' oligarchs". The Guardian. 19 April 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  31. ↑ Goldstein, Matthew; Vogel, Kenneth P.; Drucker, Jesse; Farrell, Maureen; McIntire, Mike (9 March 2022). "How Western Firms Quietly Enabled Russian Oligarchs". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  32. ↑ "Law". The Times. 2 April 2010. Archived from the original on 11 May 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  33. ↑ Go Or use our Advanced search. "Keith Schilling – Schillings – London – Lawyer Profile Chambers UK 2015 – Chambers and Partners". Chambersandpartners.com. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  34. ↑ "Keith Schilling Lawyer in London, Solicitor". Super Lawyers. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  35. ↑ "Player". Parliamentlive.tv. 9 May 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  36. ↑ "Schillings Announces Stelios Win in Ryanair Libel Battle". Prweb.com. Archived from the original on 1 August 2010. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  37. ↑ "Eversheds, Links honoured at British Legal Awards". Legalweek. 28 November 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  38. ↑ "35 Women Under 35 2013: Behind the scenes". Managementtoday.co.uk. 7 July 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  39. ↑ Angelique Chrisafis (19 May 2004). "Director loses claim to hit show | UK news". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  40. ↑ Dowell, Katy. "Tiger Woods' UK lawyer quits Schillings | News". The Lawyer. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  41. ↑ "Legal Index | Spear's WMS". Spearswms.com. 20 July 2010. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  42. ↑ "Citywealth – wealth management, finance, finance news, luxury lifestyle and philanthropy". Citywealthmag.com. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.