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Christina Michalos

Profile

Christina is a leading specialist in copyright, trade marks and intellectual property; 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). She has a particular interest and expertise in issues arising from internet user generated content and social networking sites.

Media, IP & Freedom of Information

Her recent high profile work includes: currently acting for the Met Police in the Leveson Inquiry (phone hacking); counsel for the successful Claimant in Clift v Slough Borough Council (jury trial & Court of Appeal) a leading decision on Article 8 and qualified privilege; AW v Holland (privacy injunction & committal application for breaches on Facebook & Twitter);  advising the Met Police regarding internet & Facebook issues arising from the Baby P case;  acting for the Department of Health before the Information Tribunal in response to the Pro Life Alliance's FOIA request for abortion statistices; and acting 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. Appointment is by open competition and highly competitive. 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, she has wide experience of commercial and general common law litigation. She has enormous 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 considerable 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 and chair conferences: MBL Privacy Law Seminar (2011);  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

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Verbatim

" Christina Michalos is noted by peers for her trade mark work. "An eminently sensible practitioner," she is known for her "dedication and persistence."" [Chambers & Partners, 2012] 

"Christina Michalos is also widely praised. She splits her time between government and media cases with a copyright or trade mark angle. Clients say she scores well as she “always fights hard.” " [Chambers & Partners 2011] 

"Thorough and straightforward’ image rights expert Christina Michalos handles high-profile football and horseracing matters, as well as privacy-related media cases. [Legal 500, 2010]

“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]

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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

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Publications

(17 Oct 2002)

(19 May 2004)

(26 Nov 2007)

Cases

Defamation

Privacy and Confidence

Sports Law

Intellectual Property

Data Protection

Reporting the Courts

Administrative Law

Contempt

Copyright

Entertainment Law

Freedom of Information

General Common Law

Harassment

Human Rights

Injunctive Relief

Media Law

Passing off

Professional Discipline

Public Law

Publishing

Trade Marks

Articles

News

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• Desmond Browne QC
• Mark Warby QC
• Patrick Milmo QC *
• Adrienne Page QC
• James Price QC
• Justin Rushbrooke QC
• Matthew Nicklin QC
• Stephen Bate *
• Andrew Monson *
• Iain Christie *
• Alexandra Marzec
• David Sherborne
• Jonathan Barnes
• Godwin Busuttil
• Adam Wolanski
• William Bennett
• Christina Michalos
• Jacob Dean
• Nigel Abbas *
• Adam Speker
• Richard Munden
• David Hirst
• Victoria Shore
• Victoria Jolliffe
• Yuli Takatsuki
• Felicity McMahon
• Chloe Strong
• * non-resident practising member

Associate Members

• Professor Tony Smith
• Anna Coppola
• Patrick McCafferty

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