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Adam Wolanski
Profile
Adam is the winner of the Chambers and Partners 2012 'Junior of the Year' award in the category of defamation and privacy.
He is a leading junior specialising in defamation and all other areas of media law. He also advises and acts in commercial disputes.
He has a particular expertise in claims involving privacy and confidence in family proceedings and has appeared and advised in many of the main cases in this field. He is co author of The Family Courts: Media Access and Reporting, published in July 2011 by the Family Division of the High Court, the Judicial College and the Society of Editors.
His work in 2010-11 has included:
• Acting for the News of the World in a privacy claim brought by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
• Acting for News Group in a case concerning alleged phone hacking
• Junior counsel for the BBC in a case concerning publication of the contents of a Serious Case Review into failings at a local authority
• Acting for the Mirror and the News of the World in libel claims brought by Sheryl Gascoigne
• Junior counsel in a Court of Appeal case concerning publication of judgments in ancillary relief proceedings
• Acting for a large accountancy firm bringing a libel claim, resulting in an award of £50,000 damages
• Acting for The Sun is a libel claim brought by a Haringey social worker arising out of allegations about her involvement in the Baby P affair.
• Junior counsel for Al Jazeera in a libel claim brought against it by Palestinian politician Mohammed Dahlan
• Junior counsel for the Guardian and the Times in an on-going action concerning media access to court documents
• Acting for the RSPB in a libel claim brought by two researchers
• Acting for the Sun in a libel claim brought by a doctor concerning allegations of involvement in terrorism
• Advising the News of the World on the Duchess of York sting story before publication
• Striking out a libel claim brought against the BBC
• Acting for a large security company in breach of confidence proceedings arising out of the planting of surreptitious recording devices
• Obtaining an injunction to prevent harassment by publication of information on a website
Career
Called
1995 Called to the Bar
Education
University of Cambridge (Robinson College) MA (Hons) History
Polytechnic of Central London, CPE examination (with merit); Awarded CPE Scholarship by Lincoln's Inn.
Inns of Court School of Law (Bar Vocational Course)
Areas of work
- Defamation
- Privacy and Confidence
- Intellectual Property
- Reporting the Courts
- Pre-publication Advice
- Contempt
- General Common Law
- Malicious Falsehood
Verbatim
"Making a very big name for himself at the very highest level, Adam Wolanski’s position at the top of his field is solidified by his “excellent pleadings, unflappable coolness under fire, finely wrought judgement and sheer niceness” - Chambers and Partners Bar Awards 'Junior of the Year' nomination 2008.
Testimonials
Recommended as a 'leading junior' in the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners directories. The 2012 Chambers and Partners guide says he "does a lot of leading-edge work.", is "hugely knowledgeable, very flexible and extremely effective," and "is praised for getting heavily involved in a case".The 2011 Chambers and Partners guide said: " He is highly acclaimed for his ability to put forward complex legal arguments. A number of interviewees said he was their junior of choice for "tricky cases where you need someone who is reliable and who won't slip up." Commentators note that Wolanski has "a great way of working with editors and journalists “Has a very good sense of the commercial media objective," as well as "an ability to get his head around complex issues very quickly." Previous editions of Chambers and Partners have said:“He clearly knows his stuff and has a nice courtroom style”, and "competitors find him to be pragmatic, user-friendly and aggressive when need be" (Chambers 2007 edition) The 2006 edition of Chambers reported receiving “excellent feedback” about his “legal and practical insight”, and said that “opponents feel he possesses energy and enthusiasm and isn’t one to mince his words”. Also described in Chambers and Partners as being "approachable" (2002 edition) having a "wonderful courtroom manner" (2003 edition) as offering "lucid advice on the law" (2004 edition).
Languages
French (reasonable)
Publications
(17 Oct 2002)
(17 Mar 2011)