Barristers
Kate Wilson
Email:
kw@onebrickcourt.com
Call: 2005
SPECIALISATION
- Defamation
- Malicious Falsehood/Trade libel
- Negligent Misstatement
- Reporting Restrictions
- Contempt of Court
- Protection of Sources
- Privacy and Confidence
- Human Rights Law, particularly articles 8 and 10 of the ECHR
- Data Protection
- Freedom of Information
- Harassment
Prior to coming to the Bar, Kate worked in the City for nine years, at UBS Warburg and Morgan Stanley, where she managed large equity financings by companies and later advised fund managers on investment ideas. She now specialises in all aspects of media and information law. She regularly provides pre-publication advice to national newspapers (The Guardian and The Times) as well as to several magazines and periodicals. Kate frequently advises major publishing houses, particularly in relation to contentious sporting and celebrity autobiographies and biographies.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Kate is listed as a leading junior in Defamation and Privacy work in The Legal 500 2009/10, as highly recommended for “getting stuck in and giving a case her all”, “and up and coming” in Chambers and Partners 2010.
Kate Wilson "brings a greater maturity than one would expect for her call." She "impresses due to the level of her skill and her total thoroughness." Chambers and Partners 2010
The Legal 500 2008/9 said “promising juniors include the ‘clear thinking’ Kate Wilson”
ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
BA(Hons) P.P.E Magdalen College, Oxford
M.Phil Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Diploma in Law (C.P.E.), Westminster University (Distinction)
BVC, Inns of Court School of Law (Very Competent)
Inner Temple Jardine Scholarship (2004)
Pupillage at One Brick Court (2005 to 2006)
Tenant at One Brick Court since 2006
REPRESENTATIVE CASES OF INTEREST
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Flood v Times Newspapers Limited [2009] EWHC (QB) Junior Counsel for the Defendant newspaper (led by Richard Rampton QC). In the first trial of a
Reynolds defence since the House of lords decision in
Jameel v Wall Street Journal [2007] 1 AC 359, the newspaper’s defence of
Reynolds qualified privilege was upheld in respect of an article, which reported on allegations of possible corruption, published in the Times. The defence was also successful in respect of most website publications of the article on timesonline.co.uk.
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Kate has other trial experience both led and on her own. She was junior counsel for the Defendants (led by A. Caldecott Q.C.) in the jury trial of
Carmen Mitchell-Briscoe v Constance Briscoe (1) and Hodder & Stoughton (2) (2008) in which the Defendants successfully advanced a justification defence to the libel action. In 2007, Kate was junior counsel to Patrick Moloney QC for the Claimant during the trial of libel action by Hong Kong based businessman,
Hon & Others v Lecler. Kate also acted for the successful first defendant, a businessman, in a slander action,
Hussein v Farooq [2008] EWHC 2487 (QB).
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In 2008, Kate acted for a senior police officer in his libel claim against an Irish defendant. The Claimant obtained summary judgment and an award of £50,000 in damages Gregg v O’Gara [2008] EWHC 658 (QB).
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In
Camp v Matching Parish Council (2008) Kate advised a parish council defending a claim under the Human Rights Act. She subsequently represented the parish council and obtained a final injunction against the Claimant to enforce the terms of the earlier settlement.
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Seafresh Limited v Shaw (2008) – Counsel for the Claimant in a libel action at the trial of assessment of damages, in which the court ordered damages of £20,000 to the Claimant company.
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Kate also has experience in advising upon and making Norwich Pharmacal applications, including being instructed by Associated Newspapers Ltd on a number of occasions, and in acting for third parties in disclosure applications.
PUBLICATIONS AND SEMINARS
Bullen & Leake & Jacob's Precedents of Pleadings, Co-author with Jane Phillips of 1st Supplement to 16th Edition.
“The New Black” New Law Journal Vol. 157 March 2007 (Article examining recent developments in privacy laws)
Kate has given seminars to publishing houses on privacy and libel, including on the risks of ‘misery memoirs’, and to various solicitors firms.
OTHER
Liberty – Member of Lawyers for Liberty