Past and present clients of Benedict’s are diverse and include:
- Multinational and national companies, chairmen and managing directors from a range of industry sectors;
- Some of the wealthiest businessmen in Britain;
- Members of the royal family;
- Members of the House of Lords, MPs and MEPs;
- Judges, barristers and solicitors;
- Human Rights Campaigners;
- Film directors, actors and actresses;
- The Football Association, Premiership football clubs, chairmen of football clubs and premiership footballers; and
- Newspapers and book publishers.
Benedict’s media practice has included obtaining six figure libel damages for several of his clients. He has also obtained multi-million pound settlements in commercial litigation cases for his clients. Benedict’s approach is to avoid legal and/or arbitration proceedings where possible, but if they are necessary, vigorously to pursue them with the aim of achieving a satisfactory settlement. This stated he has taken many cases to trial when a sensible settlement has not proved possible.
Media litigation and advice:
Benedict undertakes a considerable amount of pre-publication work. Rarely is he not dealing with threatened television programmes, newspaper articles and/or online material. He works closely with public relations consultants, both in house and external advisers to companies and individuals.
Benedict also undertakes a considerable amount of work on the internet with either securing the removal of online material or reducing its visibility through the removal of links to it. This is with all the main search engines. For clients he has secured the removal of multiple articles and hundreds of links to other articles, making a real difference to the online material about those clients.
As part of dealing with the press, Benedict is used to dealing with the media from other countries, and most particularly in the United States.
Benedict’s practice encompasses dealing with the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Ofcom and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), among other such organisations.
Commercial litigation and advice:
In addition to other more general commercial litigation work, Benedict has a successful practice involving financial mis-selling claims. These include actions for claimants: a) in relation to pension, equity release, film finance and option award schemes; b) concerning derivative, foreign exchange and other investment advice; and c) over property transactions, as well as other professional negligence claims. This is against solicitors, accountants, independent financial advisers, banks and others.
Work with the Civil Justice Council and others:
Under the auspices of the Civil Justice Council, Benedict was at the forefront of Gerald Esmond’s efforts to mediate aspects of its CFA scheme with publication lawyers. He has also been regularly invited by the Civil Justice Council to conferences held by it into aspects of litigation which it is reviewing. In 2009 Benedict appeared before the Cultural, Media and Sports Select Committee of the House of Commons in a briefing seminar for the Press Standards, Privacy and Libel Inquiry. On 24 October 2011, Benedict gave evidence before the Joint Parliamentary Committee of the House of Lords and House of Commons on Privacy and Injunctions.
Benedict has been or is currently:
- a. a member of a committee set up at the request of Lord Justice Jackson which considered means by which the early resolution of libel claims could be achieved;
- b. a member of the Law Society’s committee on the pre-action protocol for media related actions;
- c. a member of the committee that considered so called “super injunctions” set up and chaired by the then Master of the Rolls, Lord Neuberger; and
- d. a member of the Working Group commissioned by the Civil Justice Council tasked with identifying the need, and possible mechanisms, for providing costs protection to parties to publication and privacy proceedings.
Benedict was a long standing member of the Media Section of the International Bar Association and has spoken at conferences around the world.
Email: Benedict.pepper@geraldesmondsolicitors.com
Highlights
- One of the most experienced media lawyers in the business.
- He undertakes a considerable amount of take down work on the internet, complaints about KYC and other such reports and pre-publication work in relation to broadcast, print and online media.
- Has a thriving commercial litigation practice suing banks and other financial institutions in particular.
- Viewed as having "a no nonsense style, gets things done and clients like him".
- Benedict is the architect behind the firm's successful Conditional Fee Agreement ("No Win, No Fee") scheme and negotiated the ATE insurance offered with it.
- Chambers & Partners 2018 report that according to an impressed market source, "Gerald Esmond is incredibly bright and leaves no potential avenue uninvestigated and has a significant libel and privacy practice providing both pre and post-publication advice to clients."
- Chambers & Partners comment that "Benedict is a stalwart of the media law sector and is always a voice of authority on often complex cases."
Past and present clients of Benedict’s are diverse and include:
- Multinational and national companies, chairmen and managing directors from a range of industry sectors;
- Some of the wealthiest businessmen in Britain;
- Members of the royal family;
- Members of the House of Lords, MPs and MEPs;
- Judges, barristers and solicitors;
- Human Rights Campaigners;
- Film directors, actors and actresses;
- The Football Association, Premiership football clubs, chairmen of football clubs and premiership footballers; and
- Newspapers and book publishers.
Benedict’s media practice has included obtaining six figure libel damages for several of his clients. He has also obtained multi-million pound settlements in commercial litigation cases for his clients. Benedict’s approach is to avoid legal and/or arbitration proceedings where possible, but if they are necessary, vigorously to pursue them with the aim of achieving a satisfactory settlement. This stated he has taken many cases to trial when a sensible settlement has not proved possible.
Media litigation and advice:
Benedict undertakes a considerable amount of pre-publication work. Rarely is he not dealing with threatened television programmes, newspaper articles and/or online material. He works closely with public relations consultants, both in house and external advisers to companies and individuals.
Benedict also undertakes a considerable amount of work on the internet with either securing the removal of online material or reducing its visibility through the removal of links to it. This is with all the main search engines. For clients he has secured the removal of multiple articles and hundreds of links to other articles, making a real difference to the online material about those clients.
As part of dealing with the press, Benedict is used to dealing with the media from other countries, and most particularly in the United States.
Benedict’s practice encompasses dealing with the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Ofcom and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), among other such organisations.
Commercial litigation and advice:
In addition to other more general commercial litigation work, Benedict has a successful practice involving financial mis-selling claims. These include actions for claimants: a) in relation to pension, equity release, film finance and option award schemes; b) concerning derivative, foreign exchange and other investment advice; and c) over property transactions, as well as other professional negligence claims. This is against solicitors, accountants, independent financial advisers, banks and others.
Work with the Civil Justice Council and others:
Under the auspices of the Civil Justice Council, Benedict was at the forefront of Gerald Esmond’s efforts to mediate aspects of its CFA scheme with publication lawyers. He has also been regularly invited by the Civil Justice Council to conferences held by it into aspects of litigation which it is reviewing. In 2009 Benedict appeared before the Cultural, Media and Sports Select Committee of the House of Commons in a briefing seminar for the Press Standards, Privacy and Libel Inquiry. On 24 October 2011, Benedict gave evidence before the Joint Parliamentary Committee of the House of Lords and House of Commons on Privacy and Injunctions.
Benedict has been or is currently:
- a. a member of a committee set up at the request of Lord Justice Jackson which considered means by which the early resolution of libel claims could be achieved;
- b. a member of the Law Society’s committee on the pre-action protocol for media related actions;
- c. a member of the committee that considered so called “super injunctions” set up and chaired by the then Master of the Rolls, Lord Neuberger; and
- d. a member of the Working Group commissioned by the Civil Justice Council tasked with identifying the need, and possible mechanisms, for providing costs protection to parties to publication and privacy proceedings.
Benedict was a long standing member of the Media Section of the International Bar Association and has spoken at conferences around the world.
Email: Benedict.pepper@geraldesmondsolicitors.com
