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Matthew Nicklin
Profile
Matthew joined 5RB in September 1996 after spending two years as a barrister at 5 New Square (now Hogarth Chambers). He has a mixed practice of both claimant and defendant work.
He represented Madonna in her privacy and copyright claim against the Mail on Sunday following publication of wedding photographs and defended Grazia magazine in a privacy claim brought by Victoria Beckham. He acted for The Daily Telegraph in the libel action brought by George Galloway; defended News of the World in the libel action brought by David and Victoria Beckham over allegations that their marriage was a sham; acted successfully for Five in defending libel proceedings brought by Kate Moss over allegations that she took cocaine; and for Wayne Rooney in his claim against The Sun and News of the World over allegations that he slapped his fiancée Coleen McLoughlin in a nightclub.
Matthew acts regularly for Channel Four Television, particularly for the Dispatches programme. He has successfully defended the libel action by Andrew Wakefield brought over a Dispatches investigation over the MMR scandal and a successful defence of a privacy claim against the programme Undercover Teacher. He also acted for the programme makers of Dispatches Undercover Mosque in their libel action against the Crown Prosecution Service and West Midlands Police for over false claims that subjects appearing on the programme had been misrepresented. He also defended the Cutting Edge programme The Jacksons are Coming against a libel action brought by Matthew Fiddes.
More recently, Matthew has acted for Matt Lucas in privacy actions against the Daily Star and the Daily Mail; Boris Berezovsky in his successful libel action against Russian State Television in which damages of £150,000 were awarded; and Ajinomoto Corporation in its ground-breaking malicious falsehood claim against Asda arising from food packaging in which the Court of Appeal ruled that the single-meaning rule does not apply to malicious falsehood.
Matthew is a frequent contributor on media law for radio and television.
Career
Called
1993 Called to the Bar
2009 Year of Recorder
Education
Tasker Milward School, Haverfordwest
University of Newcastle Upon Tyne (LL.B First Class Honours)
Inns of Court School of Law
Qualifications
Inns of Court Pegasus Scholar to Sydney, Australia (Mallesons) - June 1998
Night Lawyer - The Observer - January 1995 to December 2002
Volunteer Adviser - Islington Legal Advice Centre 1994 - present
Chambers & Partners Defamation & Privacy Junior Barrister of the Year 2007
Chambers & Partners Defamation & Privacy Junior Barrister of the Year 2009
Appointed Recorder (Crime) 23 October 2009
Areas of work
- Defamation
- Privacy and Confidence
- Intellectual Property
- Data Protection
- Reporting the Courts
- Administrative Law
- Contempt
- Copyright
- Harassment
- Human Rights
- Injunctive Relief
- Malicious Falsehood
- Media Law
- Passing off
- Professional Negligence
Verbatim
"Matthew Nicklin is incredibly hard-working and a favourite amongst solicitors. His practice covers both claimant and defendant work, and he has acted for national newspapers such as The Daily Telegraph and News of the World." Chambers & Partners (2010-2011) "The astonishingly brilliant Matthew Nicklin always goes the extra mile whilst coming up with ingenious arguments." Chambers & Partners (2009-2010)"“The outstanding” Matthew Nicklin has “countless fans in the libel world” due to his “huge personality and swiftness of action.” “A perfectionist,” he has had involvement in some of the most sophisticated libel cases of the past year" - Chambers & Partners (2008-2009)
"Matthew Nicklin is a ‘committed advocate’ and ‘formidable opponent’." Legal 500 (2010-2011) "Matthew Nicklin is considered ‘effervescent’ and ‘hardworking’, as well as being an ‘innovative fighter’" - Legal 500 (2008-2009)
Testimonials
Named Defamation Junior Barrister of the Year in the 2007 and 2009 Chambers & Partners Bar Awards
Consistently recommended as a leading junior (Band 1) in privacy and defamation in both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500.
An expert in defamation in Legal Experts (2004-2011).
Preferred Counsel for Channel Four Television.
Appointed Recorder (Crime) on 23 October 2009. Assigned to the South Eastern Circuit.
Languages
Some French
Memberships
Barrister Member of the Main Board of the Bar Standards Board (January 2008 to date)
Publications
(17 Oct 2002)
(17 Mar 2011)