Victoria specialises in the areas of defamation, privacy, confidence, media law, harassment and data protection. Many of these cases involve the Human Rights Act and the interplay between articles 8 and 10 of the European Convention. She acts for claimants and defendants.
In addition to advising and acting against and occasionally for media organisations, she is regularly instructed to act for public authorities. Over the past decade Victoria has acted for publishers, private individuals, companies, a charity, a political party, a trade union, for and against universities, academics, utility suppliers, royalty, foreign politicians and one of the world’s largest entertainments companies.
Praise from Chambers & Partners includes:
“She is a joy to work with – exceptionally fast in providing advice, clever, commercially aware, down-to-earth, good-humoured and practical.”
Victoria is public access accredited and is regularly instructed directly by members of the public and companies, most often in relation to defamation, privacy and harassment matters. One such client, a university professor, commented that “the quality of the legal advice was both exemplary and flexible. My case had some twists and turns, but [Victoria] approached all aspects with admirable candour, realism and a sharp legal mind. I could not have wished for better representation.”
Recent work
Significant recent instructions include:
- Obtaining a damages award in the sum of £80,000 for a claimant who had sued over online libels;
- Advising an international luxury hotel chain defending a claim for damages for misuse of private information and data protection following a data breach;
- Obtaining an interim injunction and anonymity order to restrain harassment in the form of a highly damaging website created by the ex-wife of the claimant
- For the defendants, the striking out of a slander claim brought against a Council and the Leader of the Council by care home providers: see Meadows Care v Lambert
- Advising local authorities on publication issues, including on the privacy rights of third parties
- Successfully resisting an application for stay of proceedings brought by the defendant care home provider in a claim for a judicial determination of a data subject access request
- Successfully resisting an application for interim injunctive relief in a slander action
- Advising on a number of infant settlements in privacy claims brought against healthcare providers and local authorities.
- Acting against police forces in privacy claims brought by serving and former police officers
- Assistant to the Adjudicator in the Voicemail Interception Compensation Scheme set up by News International following their admission of phone-hacking
Previously Victoria has acted as junior counsel for individuals and companies resisting publicity and disclosure of confidential information in high profile divorce proceedings. She was led in the defence of the libel and slander action brought by Peter Andre against his former wife, Katie Price. She was second junior for the claimant in the High Court privacy action brought by Max Mosley against the News of the World and also acted on behalf of a private hospital in defence of a breach of confidence claim brought by a high profile sportsperson.
Victoria regularly provides pre-publication advice to newspapers, print publishers, broadcasters and production companies. She gained considerable experience in providing legal and OFCOM compliance advice, often in relation to live broadcasts, while seconded to Channel 4 and advising Channel 5. She has also assisted with securing E&O insurance for the production of West End plays and advised on all aspects of films scripts, including the issue of life rights.
Publications
Victoria is a contributor to the third edition of Tugendhat & Christie on The Law of Privacy and the Media.
Prior to 5RB
After completing her law degree Victoria worked as a legal researcher at the British Institute of International and Comparative law in the field of data protection. She also undertook a legal traineeship at the European Commission working on the EU-US negotiations with regard to the privacy rights of US-bound airline passengers. Immediately prior to commencing pupillage at 5RB, Victoria worked for a year as a paralegal at Walt Disney, providing legal assistance and research on intellectual property and data protection matters.
Called
2005 Called to the Bar of England and Wales
Education
Inns of Court School of Law, BVC
Greyfriars, University of Oxford, BA, Jurisprudence - 2001
Areas of work
Data Protection and Information Law
Defamation and Malicious Falsehood
General Common Law
Intellectual Property
Pre-publication Advice
Privacy and Confidence
Reporting the Courts and Contempt
Testimonials
“She’s very approachable and agile, turns things around very quickly and is easy to work with.”
Chambers & Partners 2020
Hardwicke Scholar of Lincoln’s Inn
Languages
Good French
All cases
Defamation and Malicious Falsehood
Wafic Rida Saïd v (1) Groupe L’Express (2) Guillaume Dubois
[2018] EWHC 3593 (QB) 21/12/2018
Meadows Care v Lambert
[2014] EWHC 1226 (Admin) 16/04/2014
Jerrard v Blyth & Ors
[2014] EWHC 647 (QB) 30/03/2014
Privacy and Confidence
ABC Ltd v Y
[2010] EWHC 3176 (Ch); [2011] 4 All ER 113 06/12/2010
Reporting the Courts and Contempt
ABC Ltd v Y
[2010] EWHC 3176 (Ch); [2011] 4 All ER 113 06/12/2010
Injunctive Relief
Wafic Rida Saïd v (1) Groupe L’Express (2) Guillaume Dubois
[2018] EWHC 3593 (QB) 21/12/2018
Publications
The Law of Privacy and the Media 3rd Edition
OUP
By Victoria Simon-Shore. 22 Jan 2016
In 5RB News
17 Oct 2024
5RB in Chambers & Partners 2025
20 Oct 2023
5RB tops rankings in Chambers & Partners
5 Oct 2023
5RB named Tier 1 set in Defamation and privacy by The Legal 500
17 Mar 2023
Congratulations to Victoria Simon-Shore
Victoria bagged both a PB and a Six Star medal last Sunday
7 Oct 2022
5RB named top set by The Legal 500
Directory rankings also released
2 Nov 2017
“The pre-eminent set”: Chambers UK
5RB and members recommended for Defamation & Privacy and Data Protection in 2018 Chambers UK Bar Guide
19 May 2016
5RB at the London Legal Walk 2016
£2,157.19 raised for LLSU, FRU and the Bar Pro Bono Unit
22 Jan 2016
New edition of The Law of Privacy and the Media published
Read an extract on Privacy, the Internet and Social Media
31 Oct 2014
5RB tops Chambers & Partners 2015
Set and 19 barristers recommended in UK Bar Guide
20 May 2014
5RB at the London Legal Walk
Chambers team raised £2341.25
28 Oct 2011
5RB tops Chambers and Partners 2012
Adam Wolanski wins Defamation and Privacy Junior Barrister of the Year
7 May 2009
TV lie detector tester wins apology
Rival chat show lie detector testers’ court room battle settles
13 Jan 2009
£50,000 for dentist accused of car finance fraud
BBC makes offer of amends
Contact
Email: clerks@5rb.com
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