Robert graduated from Balliol College, Oxford, with a First in Jurisprudence. He completed his training at Herbert Smith, where he qualified in 1997, combining his general commercial litigation practice with specialisms in sports law and defamation.
Robert joined Gerald Esmond in 2001 and became a Partner in 2003.
He specialises in media litigation and reputation management, and is also spearheading the firm’s commercial litigation practice. His clients range from multinational corporations and leading business people, to a number of national governments and heads of state, as well as other high-profile politicians and celebrities.
Robert’s City background means that he has extensive experience of large-scale commercial dispute resolution, including complex contractual and shareholder litigation. In the past year alone Robert’s work has included representing a leading FTSE 100 company in a major Commercial Court dispute arising out of a £300m local government contract; as well as successfully defending, at trial, a businessman facing claims of breach of fiduciary duty, misappropriation and breach of contract.
In the media sector, Robert’s media and reputation management practice is divided between pre-publication and post-publication advice.
Pre-publication, Robert is frequently instructed by companies or individuals who are threatened with unwanted media interest, whether by print or broadcast media. Robert’s clients have included high profile individuals, multinational corporations and leading retailers, but also numerous lower-profile businesses, NGOs and individuals who have found themselves the target of unwanted media interest.
Post-publication, Robert has extensive experience of securing apologies and damages for clients as well as having material removed from or amended on the internet. Robert has extensive trial experience, having secured some of the most notable awards of the past 15 years. In libel circles, Robert is perhaps best known for representing Kate and Gerry McCann, for whom he has acted since 2008. This work has included securing unprecedented front page apologies from the Daily Express, Daily Star and their sister Sunday titles as well as £550,000 in libel damages. Robert also obtained apologies and £375,000 in damages from the Express group for the seven friends who were dining with the McCanns on the night Madeleine was abducted. All the damages in these and related cases have been applied to the search for Madeleine. Robert also advised Mr and Mrs McCann in relation to their evidence before the Leveson Inquiry.
Robert has secured over £700,000 in damages as well as numerous apologies (both in print and on television) for a number of individuals falsely accused of involvement in terrorism.
Robert’s first major libel trial was in 2001, when, at his previous firm, he represented Alan (now Lord) Sugar in his successful libel action against the Daily Mail, which resulted in a jury awarding damages of £100,000, the highest award that year.
Robert regularly lectures to the profession and has made a number of television and radio appearances. He has also been named “Lawyer of the Week” in The Times newspaper.
At Parliament’s invitation, Robert gave evidence at the House of Commons before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee in its inquiry into press standards, privacy and libel.
Highlights
- Combines his specialist media/ reputation management work with helping spearhead Gerald Esmond's expanding commercial litigation practice.
- Described in the Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession as being “highly esteemed for his litigation skills and excellence handling reputation management concerns for multinational companies and high profile individuals”.
- Representing Kate and Gerry McCann, including in their unprecedented libel complaints against Express Newspapers.
- Extensive experience of large-scale commercial dispute resolution, including complex contractual and shareholder litigation.
Robert graduated from Balliol College, Oxford, with a First in Jurisprudence. He completed his training at Herbert Smith, where he qualified in 1997, combining his general commercial litigation practice with specialisms in sports law and defamation.
Robert joined Gerald Esmond in 2001 and became a Partner in 2003.
He specialises in media litigation and reputation management, and is also spearheading the firm’s commercial litigation practice. His clients range from multinational corporations and leading business people, to a number of national governments and heads of state, as well as other high-profile politicians and celebrities.
Robert’s City background means that he has extensive experience of large-scale commercial dispute resolution, including complex contractual and shareholder litigation. In the past year alone Robert’s work has included representing a leading FTSE 100 company in a major Commercial Court dispute arising out of a £300m local government contract; as well as successfully defending, at trial, a businessman facing claims of breach of fiduciary duty, misappropriation and breach of contract.
In the media sector, Robert’s media and reputation management practice is divided between pre-publication and post-publication advice.
Pre-publication, Robert is frequently instructed by companies or individuals who are threatened with unwanted media interest, whether by print or broadcast media. Robert’s clients have included high profile individuals, multinational corporations and leading retailers, but also numerous lower-profile businesses, NGOs and individuals who have found themselves the target of unwanted media interest.
Post-publication, Robert has extensive experience of securing apologies and damages for clients as well as having material removed from or amended on the internet. Robert has extensive trial experience, having secured some of the most notable awards of the past 15 years. In libel circles, Robert is perhaps best known for representing Kate and Gerry McCann, for whom he has acted since 2008. This work has included securing unprecedented front page apologies from the Daily Express, Daily Star and their sister Sunday titles as well as £550,000 in libel damages. Robert also obtained apologies and £375,000 in damages from the Express group for the seven friends who were dining with the McCanns on the night Madeleine was abducted. All the damages in these and related cases have been applied to the search for Madeleine. Robert also advised Mr and Mrs McCann in relation to their evidence before the Leveson Inquiry.
Robert has secured over £700,000 in damages as well as numerous apologies (both in print and on television) for a number of individuals falsely accused of involvement in terrorism.
Robert’s first major libel trial was in 2001, when, at his previous firm, he represented Alan (now Lord) Sugar in his successful libel action against the Daily Mail, which resulted in a jury awarding damages of £100,000, the highest award that year.
Robert regularly lectures to the profession and has made a number of television and radio appearances. He has also been named “Lawyer of the Week” in The Times newspaper.
At Parliament’s invitation, Robert gave evidence at the House of Commons before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee in its inquiry into press standards, privacy and libel.
