Bethany Macdonald
Solicitor
Bethany qualified as a solicitor in 2017 having joined the firm in 2015.
In 2013, Bethany graduated with a first class in law from the University of Exeter. She later obtained an LLM in International Commercial Law from the same university, graduating with a distinction at the top of her class. In 2015, Bethany went on to achieve a distinction in the Legal Practice Course.
Since joining Gerald Esmond, Bethany has gained experience in a variety of media and commercial matters and has assisted in proceedings in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. In 2016, Bethany assisted in the Claimants’ legal teams in Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman v ARY Network Ltd (a libel and harassment trial which led to the first ever publication order under s.12 of the Defamation Act 2013 and a damages award of £185,000) and PJS v News Group Newspapers (the first case in which the Supreme Court has given judgment on an interim application restraining a breach of privacy).
Alongside work at the firm, Bethany is also the CEO of Big Voice London, a social mobility charity which seeks to engage young people from non-traditional backgrounds in law and legal policy, with the aim of improving diversity in the legal profession.
Below is an example of Bethany’s publications:
