Billy is the Managing Partner of Gerald Esmond as well as Head of the firm’s Defamation and Media Law department. Billy’s principal areas of expertise are three-fold.
(1) Media litigation and reputation management
Billy has obtained numerous apologies for clients (including on the front page and on television and radio), numerous settlements involving damages in six figures, and many substantial awards at trial (including the highest ever award to a company) both by Jury and Judge alone.
Billy has obtained numerous injunctions (including in PJS v News Group Newspaper which went to the Supreme Court, which upheld the injunction) for clients restraining infringement of their privacy by the press or former associates and has prevented the publication of many articles about clients, often by means of a phone call or letter. Billy has also acted for many clients who were to be featured on Panorama, Dispatches and other TV documentary/news programmes securing either their complete removal from the programme or the removal of the defamatory allegations.
Billy has worked on four Law Society Committees looking into reforms to libel practice, privacy law and civil procedure. He has spoken on three occasions at the Oxford Union Debating Society on libel and privacy and chairs the annual White Paper defamation and privacy conference.
Billy has consistently been ranked Band 1 of the Chambers and Partners guide to the legal profession. He has been described in recent entries as the “formidable” Billy Fisher who continues to be revered as a “fearless litigator” and “master tactician”. Other recent entries describe Billy as:
- “Legend in his own lifetime”, Billy attracts numerous accolades for the depth of his expertise in the field of libel and strong track record in successfully securing privacy injunctions. One source says he is “an outstanding figure who is perfect when a degree of aggression is required.” (Chambers 2017)
- Chambers report Billy is “the ultimate litigation machine” for media litigation and reputation management. (Chambers HNW 2017)
- “The powerhouse to call in any media-related crisis” who “regularly puts clients at ease with his shrewd, pragmatic advice and is an exceptional, tenacious and clever practitioner”. (Legal 500, 2017)
- Billy is “calm but clinical” and widely considered by market sources to be “one of the best in the business” and “a guru in the field”, whilst others describe him as “masterful in his management of litigation”. He is a deeply experienced practitioner who continues to advise a wide variety of public figures on defamation matters. (Chambers 2016)
- Clients identify Billy as “pre-eminent in his field but also a luminary, in that he forecasts the process and direction in which the litigation is going to go”. (Chambers 2015)
- Billy is a “master tactician” who is “pre-eminent in his field”. “His real strength is in his strategy and tactics – he understands the weaknesses of the other side”. “He is extremely tough to face – you really have to up your game”. (Chambers 2014)
- “Billy is a very sound counsel, there’s nothing he hasn’t seen before, no media attack he hasn’t encountered and neutralised“. There is “not much you can say about him which hasn’t already been said; you don’t get any better than Billy”. He “impresses with his innovative and creative approach but the other major weapon in his armoury is quite simply his experience”. (Chambers 2013)
- Billy is “absolutely brilliant” and “first rate, with extremely good judgement”. He “drives a case forward until the other side flinches”. (Chambers 2012)
- Billy is a “really brilliant tactician who keeps his objectivity” clients affirm. (Chambers 2011)
- Billy receives widespread praise for his practice: “his experience makes you feel incredibly safe”. (Chambers 2010)
- He is a “fearless litigator and brilliant tactician” who “adds an enormous value to the libel field with his superb judgement and genuine charm”. (Chambers 2009)
- Billy is “an amazing solicitor”, “pre-eminent in his field of expertise”, “always tough when fighting for us”, “tenacious and astute” and “always has his finger on the pulse”. (Chambers 2008)
Billy is listed as a leading individual in the fields of reputation management and defamation and privacy in the Legal 500. The 2016 Guide to the Legal 500 calls Billy a “brilliant litigator” while the 2015 Guide describes him as a “guru” who is “client friendly and full of good ideas”. The 2014 Guide states, “Billy Fisher writes a superb letter and is fearless, but has his feet firmly on the ground” and the 2013 Guide also ranked Billy as a leading individual, describing him as “charismatic” with “natural gravitas without pomposity”.
(2) Commercial litigation
Billy has acted in numerous actions for breach of contract, professional negligence, financial mis-selling, breach of trust and breach of fiduciary duty winning tens of millions of pounds for clients in such cases over the last few years.
Billy has successfully sued banks, pension advisers, and financial advisers in many cases where the clients required a safe or cautious investment but lost money. A number of such cases have been conducted on a conditional (“no win, no fee”) basis supplemented with After the Event Insurance to cover disbursements and the possibility of an adverse costs order.
Billy has also obtained injunctions for clients against former employees acting in breach of restrictive covenants or who have used confidential information taken from former employers in setting up their own businesses or working for competitors.
(3) Employment disputes
Billy regularly acts for journalists who find themselves in employment disputes and has advised employees and self-employed contractors from almost all national newspapers.
Highlights
- Billy is ranked in the Legal 500 'elite' section for Reputation Management.
- Spear's Magazine 2017 has listed Billy as one of the Top 5 Reputation Management lawyers in the country.
- Described by Commercial Lawyer as “efficient, proficient and one of the most experienced in the business”.
- Billy has recovered tens of millions of pounds in damages for clients in commercial and financial litigation involving claims for negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of trust, breach of contract and financial mis-selling.
- Notable clients include Sir Elton John, Simon Cowell, Tesco, Bryan Roberts, Liam Gallagher, James Blunt, Frank Warren and Frank Bruno.
- Billy was recently awarded the accolade of Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year, Defamation (London).
- Chambers & Partners 2018 report that an impressed market source says "He is as astute a tactician as they come and develops comprehensive strategies to continually get the best for his wide range of clients."
Billy is the Managing Partner of Gerald Esmond as well as Head of the firm’s Defamation and Media Law department. Billy’s principal areas of expertise are three-fold.
(1) Media litigation and reputation management
Billy has obtained numerous apologies for clients (including on the front page and on television and radio), numerous settlements involving damages in six figures, and many substantial awards at trial (including the highest ever award to a company) both by Jury and Judge alone.
Billy has obtained numerous injunctions (including in PJS v News Group Newspaper which went to the Supreme Court, which upheld the injunction) for clients restraining infringement of their privacy by the press or former associates and has prevented the publication of many articles about clients, often by means of a phone call or letter. Billy has also acted for many clients who were to be featured on Panorama, Dispatches and other TV documentary/news programmes securing either their complete removal from the programme or the removal of the defamatory allegations.
Billy has worked on four Law Society Committees looking into reforms to libel practice, privacy law and civil procedure. He has spoken on three occasions at the Oxford Union Debating Society on libel and privacy and chairs the annual White Paper defamation and privacy conference.
Billy has consistently been ranked Band 1 of the Chambers and Partners guide to the legal profession. He has been described in recent entries as the “formidable” Billy Fisher who continues to be revered as a “fearless litigator” and “master tactician”. Other recent entries describe Billy as:
- “Legend in his own lifetime”, Billy attracts numerous accolades for the depth of his expertise in the field of libel and strong track record in successfully securing privacy injunctions. One source says he is “an outstanding figure who is perfect when a degree of aggression is required.” (Chambers 2017)
- Chambers report Billy is “the ultimate litigation machine” for media litigation and reputation management. (Chambers HNW 2017)
- “The powerhouse to call in any media-related crisis” who “regularly puts clients at ease with his shrewd, pragmatic advice and is an exceptional, tenacious and clever practitioner”. (Legal 500, 2017)
- Billy is “calm but clinical” and widely considered by market sources to be “one of the best in the business” and “a guru in the field”, whilst others describe him as “masterful in his management of litigation”. He is a deeply experienced practitioner who continues to advise a wide variety of public figures on defamation matters. (Chambers 2016)
- Clients identify Billy as “pre-eminent in his field but also a luminary, in that he forecasts the process and direction in which the litigation is going to go”. (Chambers 2015)
- Billy is a “master tactician” who is “pre-eminent in his field”. “His real strength is in his strategy and tactics – he understands the weaknesses of the other side”. “He is extremely tough to face – you really have to up your game”. (Chambers 2014)
- “Billy is a very sound counsel, there’s nothing he hasn’t seen before, no media attack he hasn’t encountered and neutralised“. There is “not much you can say about him which hasn’t already been said; you don’t get any better than Billy”. He “impresses with his innovative and creative approach but the other major weapon in his armoury is quite simply his experience”. (Chambers 2013)
- Billy is “absolutely brilliant” and “first rate, with extremely good judgement”. He “drives a case forward until the other side flinches”. (Chambers 2012)
- Billy is a “really brilliant tactician who keeps his objectivity” clients affirm. (Chambers 2011)
- Billy receives widespread praise for his practice: “his experience makes you feel incredibly safe”. (Chambers 2010)
- He is a “fearless litigator and brilliant tactician” who “adds an enormous value to the libel field with his superb judgement and genuine charm”. (Chambers 2009)
- Billy is “an amazing solicitor”, “pre-eminent in his field of expertise”, “always tough when fighting for us”, “tenacious and astute” and “always has his finger on the pulse”. (Chambers 2008)
Billy is listed as a leading individual in the fields of reputation management and defamation and privacy in the Legal 500. The 2016 Guide to the Legal 500 calls Billy a “brilliant litigator” while the 2015 Guide describes him as a “guru” who is “client friendly and full of good ideas”. The 2014 Guide states, “Billy Fisher writes a superb letter and is fearless, but has his feet firmly on the ground” and the 2013 Guide also ranked Billy as a leading individual, describing him as “charismatic” with “natural gravitas without pomposity”.
(2) Commercial litigation
Billy has acted in numerous actions for breach of contract, professional negligence, financial mis-selling, breach of trust and breach of fiduciary duty winning tens of millions of pounds for clients in such cases over the last few years.
Billy has successfully sued banks, pension advisers, and financial advisers in many cases where the clients required a safe or cautious investment but lost money. A number of such cases have been conducted on a conditional (“no win, no fee”) basis supplemented with After the Event Insurance to cover disbursements and the possibility of an adverse costs order.
Billy has also obtained injunctions for clients against former employees acting in breach of restrictive covenants or who have used confidential information taken from former employers in setting up their own businesses or working for competitors.
(3) Employment disputes
Billy regularly acts for journalists who find themselves in employment disputes and has advised employees and self-employed contractors from almost all national newspapers.
