Reputation Management
Defamation essentially takes places where a false statement is made about a person (or a company) that damages their reputation. The statement can be either in a permanent form (libel) or a transient form (slander). Most often we take action for those libelled in newspapers or on the television. A company also has a reputation and contrary to popular belief can also be defamed.
In practice this is an extremely complex area of law with many issues that need to be resolved early on in proceedings. These matters should only be dealt with by someone with considerable expertise. Both Graham and Denzil are recognised specialists in this field. Please see Cases for more information on just some of our successes.
Defamation is one of the most high profile areas of law. The newspapers frequently report on celebrities who have taken action against the media. However, it should not be seen simply as the preserve of the rich and famous. It is becoming increasingly common for people or companies going about their every day business to be defamed either by other people or in the press. Access to justice is available to all with a good cause of action as it has become possible to take action on a Conditional Fee Agreement basis (widely referred to as "No Win, No Fee"). There is more information on this in our Fees section.
At Atkins we have acted for a wide range of individuals, from those who have been defamed by work colleagues in faxes and emails going to a small number of people to those who have been defamed in the press and in the media on a global scale. We have also represented some substantial corporations to protect their reputations. If you think you or your company have been defamed please do call us to discuss whether you have a claim.