Adam Wolanski KC
Call: 1995 Silk: 2019
Call: 1995 Silk: 2019
Adam Wolanski KC is a leading specialist in media and information law, with a particular focus on defamation, privacy, reporting restrictions, breach of confidence and harassment. He is renowned for the calm authority of his advocacy, and ability to establish a rapport with everyone in court – clients, solicitors and judges. Adam has been involved in many of the most high-profile recent cases in his field.
He is highly ranked in the Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 directories. The 2025-6 edition of Chambers & Partners ranks him in Band 1. He was shortlisted for the 2023-4 Chambers & Partners ‘Silk of the Year’ award in the defamation and privacy category. He was named as one of just 17 practising barristers in The Lawyer magazine’s Hot 100 list for 2021. The magazine said of Adam that “in this particularly fierce corner of the disputes market”, he “has marked himself out as one of the leading minds at the Bar”.
Prior to taking silk, Adam was the 2017-18 Chambers & Partners ‘Junior of the Year’ in the privacy and defamation category. He also won the award in 2011- 2012 and was shortlisted in 2008-9.
Adam frequently advises on privacy and confidentiality issues arising in legal proceedings, especially in family disputes. Legal 500 noted in its 2022-3 edition that Adam “has particular expertise in reporting restrictions, and principles of open justice”. He has appeared and advised in many of the main cases in this field, including in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. He contributed to the Farquhar Report on transparency in financial remedy proceedings and has advised and acted in several cases concerning the Transparency Pilot in the family courts.
He was co-author of The Family Courts: Media Access and Reporting, published by the Family Division of the High Court, the Judicial College and the Society of Editors. Adam is a co-author of The Law of Privacy and the Media (OUP).
Adam’s work in 2025-6 included: acting for the appellants in Tickle v BBC, overturning an order anonymising judges in family proceedings concerning the murdered teenager Sara Sharif;, representing the Guardian and other media groups in Yang Tengbo v Secretary of State, in which he successfully applied to obtain court documents about Prince Andrew’s involvement with an alleged Chinese spy; and acting for Optical Express in the libel claim brought against the company by campaigner Sasha Rodoy, prevailing at trial in establishing defences of truth and qualified privilege.
He also represented the BBC in challenging secrecy orders made in the ongoing public inquiry into alleged unlawful activity by UK special forces in Afghanistan. Other notable recent work includes successfully defending HRH Juan Carlos of Spain in a harassment claim against the former king for £126m, and representing the defendant in Johnny Depp’s libel action against The Sun. He also acted for News Group Newspapers on applications for disclosure of documents and journalists’ sources in Rebekah Vardy v Coleen Rooney – the ‘Wagatha Christie’ case.
Represented the successful defendant in Johnny Depp’s libel action against The Sun, including acting in the Court of Appeal.
Represented the defendant in one of Spears Magazine’s ‘blockbuster reputation cases of 2022’. The case went to the Court of Appeal on issue of identification of corporate claimants. It concluded in 2024 with the claimants discontinuing the claim.
Currently acts for the Pink Floyd musician in the libel action brought against him by journalist John Ware.
Acted for Open Democracy in a claim concerning articles alleging that C had hidden and controlled assets that it knew to have been illicitly acquired. Now settled.
Successfully represented the appellant in the 2021 Court of Appeal case concerning the lis pendens provisions of the Lugano Convention.
Acted for successful appellant in Court of Appeal case concerning permissible scope of justification plea.
Junior counsel for the successful defendant in the ‘plebgate’ libel claim.
Acted for the successful defendant in the 2023 Court of Appeal privacy case concerning photographs taken by paparazzi on a public beach.
Represented Sir Elton’s ex wife ex-wife Renate Blauel in her claim against the singer for breach of contractual privacy.
Junior counsel for the South Yorkshire Police.
Obtained an injunction following a ransomware attack on a healthcare provider.
Successfully acted for the former king in a harassment claim for £126m.
Acted for the BBC in injunctive proceedings concerning the proposed broadcast of allegations of serious sexual misconduct.
Represented the BBC in the case brought by the Attorney General to injunct the disclosure of the identity of an MI5 covert human intelligence source.
Acted for the claimant in a case concerning undercover surveillance.
Acted for the appellants in the Court of Appeal, overturning an order anonymising judges in family proceedings concerning the murdered teenager Sara Sharif.
Represented the Guardian and other media groups in a successful application to obtain court documents about Prince Andrew’s involvement with an alleged Chinese spy.
Successfully applied to extend Transparency Order in private law family proceedings.
Represented Bloomberg in an application for anonymisation of uncharged individuals in criminal proceedings.
Resisted application for permission to release witness statement deployed in civil proceedings for use in criminal proceedings.
the ‘Wagatha Christie’ case. Resisted an application for disclosure of documents and journalistic sources.
Acted for the defendant in a landmark Supreme Court case concerning the naming of third parties in criminal proceedings.
Junior counsel for respondent in case concerning an article about the ongoing criminal proceedings for phone hacking that amounted to strict liability contempt.
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