Richard Munden

Picture of Richard Munden

Profile

Recommended as a leading junior in defamation and privacy by Chambers & Partners and Legal 500, Richard also specialises in malicious falsehood, harassment, data protection, contempt and reporting restrictions, copyright, and media and entertainment related contractual disputes.

Matters in which Richard has acted include:

  • a wide variety of defamation claims including:
    • acting for Wayne Rooney and HarperCollins Publishers in the libel claim brought against them by Everton manager David Moyes; 
    • acting for Amazon EU Sarl, operators of the Amazon.co.uk website, in respect of a claim brought by an author over comments in a discussion forum;
    • successfully obtaining damages and apologies from The Spectator and Melanie Phillips over an article libelling the President of the British Muslim Initiative, and from the same magazine for Islam Expo Ltd;
    • Mond v Mason, a successful claim for libel, malicious falsehood and causing loss by unlawful means by a group of accountancy firms involving numerous interlocutory applications;
    • successfully striking out a number of claims brought against the publishers of national and local newspapers, as well as individuals, on a variety of grounds;
    • acting for then Liverpool FC footballer Harry Kewell in his libel claim against Gary Lineker and the Telegraph;
    • acting for businessman Mark Emlick in his successful libel claim against Gulf News;
    • acting for boxing promoter Frank Warren in his successful libel claim against boxer Herbie Hide;
    • acting for defendants in a number of claims concerning postings on websites;
    • acting for dressage trainer Andrew Gould in relation to claims about his relationship with Katie Price; and
    • advising the charity Shelter in relation to a threatened claim over a report into rogue landlords.
       
  • privacy matters, including:
    • acting for various celebrities in respect of the publication of private and confidential information;
    • acting for Ian Edmondson, former News of the World Assistant Editor, in the phone hacking litigation and the Leveson Inquiry;
    • acting for the Media Legal Defence Initiative, the International Press Institute, and The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers in Von Hannover v Germany (No 2)
    • acting for Associated Newspapers in the privacy and copyright claim brought by Lily Allen; and
    • acting for a child rape victim indirectly identified in a local newspaper.
       
  • making and resisting applications for injunctions in harassment (as well as in libel and privacy);
     
  • advising and acting on various copyright matters relating to the music, television and publishing industries, including acting for Aston "Family Man" Barrett (Bob Marley & The Wailers) against Universal-Island Records; for a major football club; and for a well-known entertainer against a national broadcaster;
     
  • passing off and trade marks disputes;
     
  • contractual claims involving music management contracts, publishing disputes and a claim relating to a series of popular music documentary films;
          
  • successfully striking out numerous claims brought under the Data Protection Act; and
          
  • professional negligence matters relating to media and entertainment law.
          

Richard also regularly advises national newspapers, journals and book publishers prior to publication.  He has practiced in media and entertainment law at 5RB his entire career, having completed pupillage under the supervision of David Sherborne, Matthew Nicklin, Stephen Bate and Andrew Monson.

Career

Called

2003 Called to the Bar

Education

Truro College
University of Warwick, LLB (1st Class Honours)
University of Oxford (St Peter's College), BCL

Areas of work

  • Defamation
  • Privacy and Confidence
  • Sports Law
  • Intellectual Property
  • Data Protection
  • Reporting the Courts
  • Pre-publication Advice
  • Public Access
  • Contempt
  • Copyright
  • Entertainment Law
  • General Common Law
  • Harassment
  • Malicious Falsehood
  • Media Law
  • Music Law
  • Passing off
  • Professional Negligence
  • Publishing


Verbatim

"Enthusiastic and hardworking"
- Chambers & Partners 2011

Leading juniors, Defamation and Privacy
 - Legal 500, 2009, 2010, 2011

"a lawyer who exudes confidence and maturity" ... Solicitors report that he is "a pleasure to work with due to his enthusiasm and drive."
 -
Chambers & Partners 2010


Testimonials

"A bright and able new star, Richard has helped us on various matters of different disciplines which he has dealt with with ease as he is happy to lead and also 'muck in'."
 -
Julian Diaz-Rainey, Hill Dickinson LLP

"Excellent. Approachable and thorough in dealing with what was a very sensitive matter."
- Saadia Khan, Bindmans LLP

"An excellent grasp of the law and procedure and turns papers around quickly. Destined for great things."
- Leszek Werenowski, Werenowski Solicitors

Scholarships etc

Pegasus Scholar 2007 (3 months working in Sydney at Mallesons Stephen Jaques, the New South Wales Supreme Court and Fairfax Media)

Levitt Scholar, Lord Denning Scholar, and Hardwicke Scholar of Lincoln's Inn

Research Associate, Oxford Intellectual Property Research Centre, 2001 - 2002

Oxford Law Society Mooting Champion 2002

Publications

The Law of Privacy and the Media (2nd edition, 2011)
Borrie & Lowe: The Law of Contempt (4th edition, 2010)
Law Brief Update, Media & Entertainment Law editor (monthly)
The Law of Privacy and the Media (2nd Supplement to 1st edition, 2006)

Memberships

Bar Pro Bono Unit
Human Rights Lawyers Association


Publications

(1 Oct 2010)

(17 Mar 2011)

Cases

Defamation

Wright v Caan

[2011] EWHC 1978 (QB) 27/07/2011

Bowker & Anor v RSPB

[2011] EWHC 737 (QB) 25/03/2011

Woodbridge v Stapleton

Unreported, 20 January 2011 20/01/2011

Ifedha v Archant Regional Ltd

[2010] EWHC 2819 (QB) 08/11/2010

Noorani v Calver (No 2 Costs)

[2009] EWHC 592 (QB) 25/03/2009

Noorani v Calver (No 1)

[2009] EWHC 561 (QB) 17/03/2009

Hughes v Alan Dick & Co Ltd

[2008] EWHC 2695 (QB) 23/10/2008

Mond & Ors v Mason & Ors

[2008] EWHC 1649 (QB) 24/06/2008

SD Marine Ltd v Powell

[2006] EWHC 3095 (QB) 06/12/2006

Hussein v William Hill

[2006] EWHC 25 (QB) 20/01/2006

Intellectual Property

Barrett v Universal-Island Records & Others

[2006] EWHC 1009 (Ch); [2006] EMLR 567 15/05/2006

Reporting the Courts

Copyright

Barrett v Universal-Island Records & Others

[2006] EWHC 1009 (Ch); [2006] EMLR 567 15/05/2006

Entertainment Law

Barrett v Universal-Island Records & Others

[2006] EWHC 1009 (Ch); [2006] EMLR 567 15/05/2006

General Common Law

Mond & Ors v Mason & Ors

[2008] EWHC 1649 (QB) 24/06/2008

Barrett v Universal-Island Records & Others

[2006] EWHC 1009 (Ch); [2006] EMLR 567 15/05/2006

Injunctive Relief

Mond & Ors v Mason & Ors

[2008] EWHC 1649 (QB) 24/06/2008

Malicious Falsehood

Wright v Caan

[2011] EWHC 1978 (QB) 27/07/2011

Mond & Ors v Mason & Ors

[2008] EWHC 1649 (QB) 24/06/2008

Media Law

Wright v Caan

[2011] EWHC 1978 (QB) 27/07/2011

Bowker & Anor v RSPB

[2011] EWHC 737 (QB) 25/03/2011

Woodbridge v Stapleton

Unreported, 20 January 2011 20/01/2011

Ifedha v Archant Regional Ltd

[2010] EWHC 2819 (QB) 08/11/2010

Noorani v Calver (No 2 Costs)

[2009] EWHC 592 (QB) 25/03/2009

Noorani v Calver (No 1)

[2009] EWHC 561 (QB) 17/03/2009

Hughes v Alan Dick & Co Ltd

[2008] EWHC 2695 (QB) 23/10/2008

Mond & Ors v Mason & Ors

[2008] EWHC 1649 (QB) 24/06/2008

SD Marine Ltd v Powell

[2006] EWHC 3095 (QB) 06/12/2006

Hussein v William Hill

[2006] EWHC 25 (QB) 20/01/2006

Music Law

Barrett v Universal-Island Records & Others

[2006] EWHC 1009 (Ch); [2006] EMLR 567 15/05/2006

News

28 Oct 2011

5RB tops Chambers and Partners 2012

Adam Wolanski wins Defamation and Privacy Junior Barrister of the Year

27 Sep 2011

'Truly experts'

—The Legal 500 review 2012

20 May 2011

Phone hacking test cases chosen

Five lead and five reserve lead cases to go forward

15 Apr 2011

Phone hacking 'test' cases to be tried

Vos J orders parties to identify 4 or 5 cases to go forward to determine common issues in News of the World claims

1 Apr 2011

BBC air series on media law

'See You in Court' documentary series on libel and privacy cases shown on BBC1

17 Mar 2011

New edition of privacy book published

Second edition of Tugendhat & Christie: The Law of Privacy and the Media published

25 Nov 2010

Melanie Phillips apologises for libel

Writer and Spectator apologise to Mohammed Sawalha for alleging that he made anti-Semitic statement, pay damages and costs

5 Nov 2010

5RB tops directory ranking

Chambers & Partners 2011 edition praises set

29 Oct 2010

New edition of Borrie & Lowe

Fourth edition of book on the law of contempt published by LexisNexis

28 Aug 2010

Spectator apologises for IslamExpo libel

Publisher and author apologise and pay damages and costs to Islamic exhibition company

21 Apr 2010

Mosque Trust granted permission to appeal

Permission granted to charity to appeal strike out ruling on capacity in libel claim over Policy Exchange 'extremist literature' report

24 Sep 2009

5RB's juniors: the Legal 500 verdict

What the legal directory had to say about 5RB's junior barristers

27 Jul 2009

Frank Warren wins libel damages

Boxing promoter awarded £35,000 over allegations made by boxer Herbie Hide

23 Mar 2009

Liverpool libel trial collapses

Indemnity costs after claimant discontinues claim over malicious telephone calls

24 Nov 2008

Accountant wins ‘IVA Council’ claim

Insolvency practitioner obtains apology and damages over mis-selling allegations

31 Jul 2008

George Galloway wins libel damages

Respect Party MP awarded £15,000 for radio station's anti-Semitic slur

6 Jun 2008

Job seeker wins Express apology

Mother-of-five accepts libel damages, apology over 'scrounger' slur

3 Jun 2008

Rooney book libel case settles

Everton manager accepts apology and damages over 'leak' allegations

16 Mar 2006

Wailers royalties battle begins

Bob Marley's bass guitarist brings claim against Island Records

4 Oct 2004

5RB Welcomes New Tenants & Pupils

Richard Munden and David Hirst join 5RB


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