Christina Michalos

Picture of 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

HRH The Prince of Wales v Associated Newspapers Ltd (No 3)

[2006] EWHC 522 (Ch); [2008] EMLR 66 17/03/2006

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

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

Data Protection

Barton v Home Office

10 November 2006 10/11/2006

Reporting the Courts

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

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

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

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

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

Public Law

Clift v Slough Borough Council & Kelleher

[2009] EWHC 1550 (QB) 06/07/2009

Publishing

Trade Marks

Re Brampton Manor Trade Mark

Application No. 2315470; Opposition No. 92512 15/06/2006

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

27 Nov 2007

Launch of The Trials of Art

Christina Michalos contributes to new work

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

24 Oct 2006

5RB tops Chambers & Partners review

Nineteen barristers recommended in Annual Survey

17 Mar 2006

Prince fails to stop journals' trial

... but summary judgment granted against Mail on Sunday on Hong Kong diary

24 Feb 2006

Prince of Wales judgment awaited

Summary Judgment hearing concludes

10 Feb 2006

Prince of Wales case in Court again

Media challenge confidentiality in Mail on Sunday litigation

22 Nov 2005

5RB hosts Trade Mark Seminar

3-D and Shape Marks, Olympic Symbols and Merchandising Fame

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

18 Nov 2004

5RB @ Media Law Conference

Annual Management Forum Conference - 26 January 2005

15 Jul 2004

5RB launches Law of Photography & Digital Images

Christina Michalos praised for 'exceptional' new work

20 Sep 2003

Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003

5RB give series of talks


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