Your privacy and reputation have never been more prized assets. We live in an age where the internet and social media has made finding out information about individuals and businesses easier than it has ever been before. Anyone, including journalists and newspaper editors, can discover background information through a quick online search or look across Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. When the press run a story about someone their digital footprint can remain online for everyone to see. We all have the right to a private life but during times of legal action, disputes and open court reporting, it has never been easier for the press to build a story so quickly, no matter if it is entirely accurate or not.
Over the summer, I was asked to provide an initial consultation for a prospective client to see if we could help supplement the instructed legal team and provide adequate communications support with several upcoming court dates. The other side had already engaged with the press ahead of time and the narrative had already been set in a couple of publications with their side of the story. After we came away from the initial meeting, within 48 hours our client already had a handful of journalists from leading national newspapers requesting comments out of the blue. We came on board straight away to help right the conversation and highlight the truth that was to be conveyed in court. The client couldn’t believe how quickly these journalists jumped on the story after one piece online had been published, but now all it takes is one tweet, one story and the ball can start rolling, and roll quickly.
It is no longer just the UK where the media can get their teeth into a story. The global media interest in a case can be ferocious as businesses and individuals are increasingly operating and travelling across the globe. As they do so, the demand for international commercial courts to serve them has also grown. The supply of court services has risen to meet this. More and more we see disputes being taken to the courts in London, under English law, as the English common law system has been exported to many countries. Even with the UK exiting the EU, the English court system has never been busier hearing cases with an international element.
Increasingly we are asked to provide discreet, strategic and practical advice to our private clients and business owners who today face ever-more complex digital, media and regulatory challenges. Our team puts together bespoke support for challenging disputes and our international network of media contacts stretches to multi-jurisdictional environments, so our client’s messages and stories are portrayed accurately whether it be in the USA, Italy, France or right here in the UK.
The long process of building a legal argument can all be misrepresented by reporting in the public eye that frames the case in a certain light that may hinder the overall strategy and objectives. It is paramount to set the tone and make sure the correct messaging is portrayed to the media as it will undoubtedly remain on the internet for years. The old adage that today’s news is tomorrow’s fish and chip paper no longer holds true in 2019.
