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Christina Michalos
Profile
Christina specialises in copyright, trade marks and intellectual property (non-patent); privacy; media & entertainment law (including data protection and freedom of information) and sports law. She is known as a leading practitioner in image rights work and is the author of The Law of Photography and Digital Images (Sweet & Maxwell, 2004). Christina has a particular interest and expertise in issues arising from internet user generated content and social networking sites.
Media, IP & Freedom of Information
Christina's recent work includes: advising the Met Police regarding internet & Facebook issues arising from the Baby P case; AW v Holland (privacy injunction & committal application for breaches on Facebook & Twitter); acting for the Department of Health before the Information Tribunal in response to the Pro Life Alliance's FOIA request for abortion statistices; junior counsel for the Claimant in the jury defamation trial Clift v Slough Borough Council and for Associated Newspapers Ltd in the copyright and privacy claim brought by HRH the Prince of Wales and heard before Blackburne J. She has also recently acted in a number of 'name change' injunction cases including both misleading company names and website/domain name passing off cases. Christina is frequently instructed by photographic agencies, photographers and media entities in relation to copyright, data protection, privacy and other related claims involving photographs. She has advised and acted for various government departments in copyright, trade mark, licencing and other intellectual property matters, including the Cabinet Office, the Inland Revenue, the Central Office of Information and the UK Hydrographic Office.
Since July 2009, Christina has been a member of the Treasury Counsel A Panel of senior lawyers approved by the Attorney General to act on behalf of the Government. She was previously on the C Panel (1999 - 2003) and the B Panel (2003 -2008). In 2004, she was instructed as an amicus curiae to the Court of Appeal in a contempt case, Thompson v Mitchell.
Commerical, Common Law & Personal Injury
In addition to her intellectual property and media work, Christina has wide experience of commercial and general common law litigation. Christina has considerable trial experience having appeared without a leader in numerous trials, in particular appearing on behalf of government departments. Prior to joining 5RB, she practiced at 17 Bedford Row (then chambers of Allan Levy QC) and gained wider experience of commercial cases acting for the Nationwide Building Society and lenders in mortgage litigation, insurance claims and also general common law litigation. She continues to practice in the more general fields of civil litigation and does a substantial amount of defendant personal injury work particularly on behalf of the Home Office/Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Defence.
She has regularly appeared as a legal commentator on media and sports law issues on Sky News, BBC News 24 and radio. Christina has been a contributor to The Times law section since 1999.
Lectures and Seminars
Christina is regularly invited to speak on copyright and media law: Press Gazette Media Law Conference (2009, 2008); chaired the Management Forum Media Law Conference (2003, 2005); IBC Protecting the Media Conference and the IBC International Copyright Law Conference (2006).
In October 2003, she was invited to give a series of lectures in Khartoum to the Sudanese Judiciary and lawyers in the Sudan on intellectual property law as part of a Bar Human Rights Committee & British Council joint project.
Career
Called
1994 Called to the Bar
Education
LLB; MA;
Postgraduate diploma (Masters Level) in International & Comparative Copyright Law, Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London
Sports Law PG Cert (King's College, London)
Areas of work
- Defamation
- Privacy and Confidence
- Sports Law
- Intellectual Property
- Data Protection
- Public Access
- Contempt
- Copyright
- General Common Law
- Human Rights
- Injunctive Relief
- Media Law
- Passing off
- Professional Discipline
- Trade Marks
- Testing
Verbatim
“Christina Michalos' particular focus is on privacy and image rights. User-friendly and bright,” she is admired for her “speed of reply and sensible advice.” [Chambers & Partners 2009]
"Christina Michalos receives praise for being “completely committed - she really goes the extra mile.” She has a three-pronged practice comprising media and entertainment, IP and sports law expertise. She recently acted as junior counsel representing Associated Newspapers in its privacy and copyright case against Prince Charles." [Chambers & Partners 2008]
Testimonials
- Recommended in Chambers & Partners since 2006 as a leading junior in Media & Entertainment law.
- Recommended as a leading junior in both Intellectual Property and in Media & Entertainment by Legal 500 (2007).
"a thorough and very user friendly junior" [Legal 500, 2007]
- Described as 'an up-and-coming intellectual property specialist' by The Times, 18 March 2003
Memberships
British Association for Sport and the Law
Intellectual Property Bar Association
BLACA (British Literary & Artistic Copyright Association)
Intellectual Property Institute
TIPLO
Registered with the Bar Pro Bono Unit
Treasury Counsel (C Panel) - appointed March 1999. Appointment renewed 2001
Treasury Counsel (B Panel) - appointed February 2003
Treasury Counsel (A Panel) - appointed July 2009
Publications
(19 May 2004)
(26 Jan 2006)
(26 Nov 2007)
Cases
Defamation
Sanders v Percy & Ministry of Justice (No 2)
Unreported, 12 May 2010 12/05/2010
Sanders v Percy & Ministry of Justice
[2009] EWHC 1870 (QB) 30/07/2009
Clift v Slough Borough Council & Kelleher
[2009] EWHC 1550 (QB) 06/07/2009
Hamilton v Milroy-Sloan
30 August 2001 30/08/2001
Privacy and Confidence
Department of Health v (1) Information Commissioner (2) Pro Life Alliance
EA/2008/0074 15/10/2009
HRH The Prince of Wales v Associated Newspapers Ltd (No 3)
[2006] EWHC 522 (Ch); [2008] EMLR 66 17/03/2006
HRH The Prince of Wales v Associated Newspapers Ltd
[2006] EWHC 11 (Ch) 13/01/2006
Johnson v Home Office
26 June 2003 26/06/2003
Sports Law
Hart v Stewart
28 May 2008 28/05/2008
Intellectual Property
HRH The Prince of Wales v Associated Newspapers Ltd (No 3)
[2006] EWHC 522 (Ch); [2008] EMLR 66 17/03/2006
HRH The Prince of Wales v Associated Newspapers Ltd
[2006] EWHC 11 (Ch) 13/01/2006
Brown v Mcasso Music Productions Ltd
[2005] EWCA Civ 1546; [2006] EMLR 26 10/11/2005
Daikin Europe N.V. v Daikin International Ltd
11 October 2005 11/10/2005
Fraser-Woodward Ltd v BBC & Brighter Pictures Ltd
[2005] EWHC 472 (Ch); [2005] EMLR 487; [2005] FSR 36; [2005] 28(6) IPD 11; The Times, 15 April 2005 23/03/2005
Data Protection
Department of Health v (1) Information Commissioner (2) Pro Life Alliance
EA/2008/0074 15/10/2009
Barton v Home Office
10 November 2006 10/11/2006
Reporting the Courts
HRH The Prince of Wales v Associated Newspapers Ltd
[2006] EWHC 11 (Ch) 13/01/2006
Contempt
Thompson v Mitchell
[2004] EWCA 1271 23/08/2004
Copyright
HRH The Prince of Wales v Associated Newspapers Ltd (No 3)
[2006] EWHC 522 (Ch); [2008] EMLR 66 17/03/2006
HRH The Prince of Wales v Associated Newspapers Ltd
[2006] EWHC 11 (Ch) 13/01/2006
Brown v Mcasso Music Productions Ltd
[2005] EWCA Civ 1546; [2006] EMLR 26 10/11/2005
Fraser-Woodward Ltd v BBC & Brighter Pictures Ltd
[2005] EWHC 472 (Ch); [2005] EMLR 487; [2005] FSR 36; [2005] 28(6) IPD 11; The Times, 15 April 2005 23/03/2005
Entertainment Law
Fraser-Woodward Ltd v BBC & Brighter Pictures Ltd
[2005] EWHC 472 (Ch); [2005] EMLR 487; [2005] FSR 36; [2005] 28(6) IPD 11; The Times, 15 April 2005 23/03/2005
General Common Law
Johnson v Home Office
26 June 2003 26/06/2003
Dorgan v Home Office (joined with Anderton v Clwyd CC)
[2002] EWCA Civ 933; [2002] 1 WLR 3174; [2002] 3 All ER 813 03/07/2002
Harassment
Sanders v Percy & Ministry of Justice (No 2)
Unreported, 12 May 2010 12/05/2010
Sanders v Percy & Ministry of Justice
[2009] EWHC 1870 (QB) 30/07/2009
Human Rights
Department of Health v (1) Information Commissioner (2) Pro Life Alliance
EA/2008/0074 15/10/2009
Clift v Slough Borough Council & Kelleher
[2009] EWHC 1550 (QB) 06/07/2009
Barton v Home Office
10 November 2006 10/11/2006
Injunctive Relief
HRH The Prince of Wales v Associated Newspapers Ltd (No 3)
[2006] EWHC 522 (Ch); [2008] EMLR 66 17/03/2006
Daikin Europe N.V. v Daikin International Ltd
11 October 2005 11/10/2005
Hamilton v Milroy-Sloan
30 August 2001 30/08/2001
Media Law
Sanders v Percy & Ministry of Justice
[2009] EWHC 1870 (QB) 30/07/2009
Clift v Slough Borough Council & Kelleher
[2009] EWHC 1550 (QB) 06/07/2009
HRH The Prince of Wales v Associated Newspapers Ltd (No 3)
[2006] EWHC 522 (Ch); [2008] EMLR 66 17/03/2006
HRH The Prince of Wales v Associated Newspapers Ltd
[2006] EWHC 11 (Ch) 13/01/2006
Fraser-Woodward Ltd v BBC & Brighter Pictures Ltd
[2005] EWHC 472 (Ch); [2005] EMLR 487; [2005] FSR 36; [2005] 28(6) IPD 11; The Times, 15 April 2005 23/03/2005
Passing off
Daikin Europe N.V. v Daikin International Ltd
11 October 2005 11/10/2005
Public Law
Clift v Slough Borough Council & Kelleher
[2009] EWHC 1550 (QB) 06/07/2009
Publishing
HRH The Prince of Wales v Associated Newspapers Ltd
[2006] EWHC 11 (Ch) 13/01/2006
Trade Marks
Re Brampton Manor Trade Mark
Application No. 2315470; Opposition No. 92512 15/06/2006
Daikin Europe N.V. v Daikin International Ltd
11 October 2005 11/10/2005
Articles
In The Name of the Law: Nominative Determinism
By Christina Michalos. 21 Apr 2009
Trade Marks and Olympic Symbols
By Christina Michalos. 22 Nov 2005
Moral Rights and Site-Specific Art Works
By Christina Michalos. 27 Sep 2005
Image Rights and Privacy: After Douglas v Hello!
By Christina Michalos. 15 Jun 2005
Overview of Copyright Regulations
By Stephen Bate and Christina Michalos. 12 Mar 2004
Sport and the Registration of Movement Marks
By Christina Michalos. 2 Dec 2003
Harry Potter and the Case of the False Evidence
By Christina Michalos. 1 Oct 2002
Irvine v Talksport
By Christina Michalos. 26 Mar 2002
News
12 Nov 2009
5RB tops Chambers & Partners review
Set and 21 barristers praised in Chambers UK 2010 Directory
24 Sep 2009
5RB's juniors: the Legal 500 verdict
What the legal directory had to say about 5RB's junior barristers
24 Jun 2009
Victory for woman labelled 'violent'
Jury upholds libel claim against Slough Borough Council
29 May 2009
Abortion Statistics Tribunal Begins
Department of Health appeals against Information Commissioner's Decision
11 Nov 2008
Chambers: 5RB is the 'gold standard'
Set and 21 barristers praised in Chambers & Partners 2009 Directory
2 Jun 2008
New Anti-Doping Advisor qualifies
5RB's Christina Michalos qualifies as a UK Sport accredited Anti-Doping Advisor
8 Nov 2007
5RB tops Chambers & Partners review
20 Barristers rated and recommended in the new annual survey
20 Sep 2007
5RB tops Legal 500
20 Barristers rated and recommended in Defamation, Privacy, Intellectual Property, Sport and Media & Entertainment Law
17 Mar 2006
Prince fails to stop journals' trial
... but summary judgment granted against Mail on Sunday on Hong Kong diary
10 Feb 2006
Prince of Wales case in Court again
Media challenge confidentiality in Mail on Sunday litigation
24 Oct 2005
Chambers' Review: 5RB top again
20 barristers recommended for Media, Entertainment, Defamation, Privacy, Intellectual Property & Sports Law
15 Sep 2005
5RB at Media Law Conference
Christina Michalos addresses the IBC's Protecting the Media event
16 Jun 2005
Image Rights and Privacy Talk
Christina Michalos assesses the impact of Douglas v Hello! at TIPLO dinner
15 Jul 2004
5RB launches Law of Photography & Digital Images
Christina Michalos praised for 'exceptional' new work