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Kate Beckinsale accepts libel payout - Graham Atkins Solicitor

The actress Kate Beckinsale accepted £20,000 libel damages from Express Newspapers yesterday over a claim that she had been passed over for her dream role as Barbarella.

Her, Graham Atkins Solicitor, told Mr Justice Eady at the High Court in London that the story in the Daily Express last month was entirely false and had caused considerable embarrassment and harm. He added that Beckinsale, 35, was never in discussions about the film role. It followed that she had not been passed over in favour of Rose McGowan, as the story claimed. The newspaper has apologised. Read more---->>>>>>

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Critic costs Mirror £170,000 for review of the worst play he'd never seen

If, as the late Kenneth Tynan said, "a critic is a man who knows the way but can't drive the car", then Matthew Wright, former showbiz columnist of the Mirror, is a critic who can't even be bothered to get in the car in the first place.

Wright's unique approach to reviewing yesterday cost the Mirror £170,000 after he described a play he had not seen as the worst he had ever attended.

David Soul, who starred in and produced The Dead Monkey, was yesterday awarded £20,000 in damages and the Mirror was ordered to pay £150,000 in costs at the high court after a three-year legal battle sparked by Wright's devastating review in October 1998.

In it Wright described Soul - who made his name as Hutch in Starsky & Hutch - as a "balding old man" and said the show was "without doubt the worst West End show I have seen".

"Far more entertaining was watching the audience watch David Soul," he wrote. "Stunned American tourists could hardly believe the balding old man with a wobbly beer gut was the handsome guy they remembered from his Hutch days. Muffled sniggering turned to hoots of derisive laughter.

"Last Monday just 45 people bought the £25 tickets... London's Whitehall Theatre was so empty it would have made more sense to use it to shelter the homeless than carry on with the show. But Soul had no intention of pulling the plug and anyone who tried to walk out was begged by ushers to return."

Wright also said attempts to sell the CD of the soundtrack of the play were "pitiful" and that Soul had sunk his lifesavings into the production.

In fact Wright had not been to see the play - there were no performances on Mondays - and sent along a freelance reporter to see the show for him before writing the piece in the first person.

According to solicitors acting for Wright, who now works in television, this was standard practice on the Matthew Wright column.Graham Atkins, Solicitor for Soul, told Mr Justice Gray that his client was not prepared to let the attack remain unchallenged. Mr Atkins said the attendance for the performance in question was around 130, well over half the capacity of the theatre. Read more----->>>>>>

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Sally Morgan’s lawyer sends me an email - Graham Atkins Solicitor

With the Psychic Sally Halloween Challenge less than 48 hours, Sally’s lawyer sends me a heavy handed email. He is not a happy bunny.

On Friday evening, I received an email from Sally Morgan’s solicitor, Graham Atkins of Atkins Thomson. He has “17 years experience in the legal aspects of the media, reputation management and branding industries”.

The email is headed “STRICTLY PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL – NOT FOR PUBLICATION”.

However, having consulted with my friend and media lawyer Robert Dougans (Bryan Cave), I wanted to reply to Mr Atkins’ email and make both his email and my reply public. Here goes.

Dear Mr Graham Atkins Solicitor.

I don’t see why you are able to send me what I perceive to be a heavy handed legal email and then oblige me not to disclose this. I do not see anything in your email that is of a confidential nature. Indeed, your email contains matters that should be very public, e.g., I presume you want me to tell people that your client, hereafter referred to as “Sally”, at the current time does not plan to attend the Psychic Sally Halloween Challenge on Monday.

Moreover, I see the contents of your email as a matter of public interest; Sally has a large business, which has a turnover of several million pounds each year, and her abilities are currently the subject of much discussion. Finally, I think the public should also be aware of the way in which Sally is using her solicitor to deal with those who write about her.

By publishing your email and my response, I hope that you, Sally and the public will better appreciate my position. Read more---->>>>>

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Trusted Guidance: The Expertise of Graham Atkins Solicitor

Graham Atkins Solicitor is a distinguished legal professional committed to providing exemplary services tailored to each client's unique needs. With years of experience in various legal domains, Graham Atkins brings a wealth of expertise to the table. Specializing in areas such as property law, estate planning, and litigation, Graham Atkins ensures comprehensive representation and strategic counsel.

Known for his integrity, diligence, and client-centric approach, Graham Atkins Solicitor prioritizes clear communication and transparent guidance throughout every legal matter. Whether you require assistance with a property transaction, drafting a will, or resolving a dispute, Graham Atkins Solicitor delivers proficient solutions with unwavering dedication and professionalism. Read more--->>>>>

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Psychic's libel battle ends in victory - Graham Atkins Solicitor

Who? Graham Atkins Solicitor, 46, founding partner of media specialists Atkins Thomson. Why is he in the news?

Represented psychic Sally Morgan in her successful libel action against the publisher of the Daily Mail. The newspaper had accused her of using a hidden earpiece during a Dublin show to receive instructions from her team which she then repeated on stage. The newspaper accepted this was untrue and settled for £125,000 just prior to trial – one of the largest ever pre-action awards.

Thoughts on the case: ‘As a psychic, you will always get sceptics and people questioning your integrity, but that is far from a newspaper with enormous circulation saying you have cheated, which can ruin your reputation entirely. The allegation came from a radio phone-in when two ladies said they heard instructions through an open window at the rear of the theatre being repeated on stage. But there was no proof despite the Mail spending 18 months trying to uncover evidence.’

Dealing with the media: ‘The general media were reasonably fair and careful about what they printed. It was the bloggers who caused more of an issue. They accused Sally of being a fraud and a cheat and effectively said "come and sue us". It’s a free-for-all but we can’t pursue everyone – we’ve done everything we could to vindicate her to the millions who read the Mail and Mail Online.

‘I had a few emails or tweets criticising me for representing her, to put it politely. It was quite unpleasant at times.’

Career high: ‘Suing Arnold Schwarzenegger [and two aides] when he was governor of California following allegations made against my client by the governor’s publicist in the Los Angeles Times. The case was brought in London, on the basis that the paper is available here online. We were working for three years on this claim, so it was great when it settled to the satisfaction of all parties.’ Career low: ‘I lost a case once in the mid-90s when a client lied at trial. Hopefully never again.’ Read more--->>>>>>

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Trainer’s win By Press Gazette Graham Atkins Solicitor

Racehorse trainer Paul D’Arcy has accepted substantial damages and a formal apology from the publishers of the Evening Star , Ipswich, after allegations that he behaved “unprofessionally, unlawfully and disgracefully” during the sale of colt Indian Haven.

D’Arcy sued publishers Archant over the 4 June 2003 article, in which it was claimed that he had sold the horse without considering the interest of former international footballer Alan Brazil, who the Star claimed was the co-owner of Indian Haven.

D’Arcy’s solicitor advocate, Graham Atkins, told the High Court the article suggested that his client had “conducted himself unprofessionally, unlawfully and disgracefully” during the sale, and had acted “in flagrant disregard” of Brazil.

However, he said Brazil was never a registered owner of the horse. He said that Archant had apologised for the damage caused and agreed to publish an apology in the Evening Star, as well as the damages and costs arising from the action. Read more----->>>>

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Graham Atkins Solicitor

Graham is widely-acknowledged as a leading libel, privacy and reputation management lawyer, recognised in the media, the Legal 500, Chambers and Spears for many years. He has 30 years’ experience in his field, qualifying at Dentons, then working at media and commercial firms before founding predecessor firms Atkins Solicitors, Atkins Thomson (Top Rank Legal 500) and then continuing his work with Rob Dellow and the team at Atkins Dellow. Read more: https://www.vevioz.com/grahamatkins

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Lawyer of the week: Graham Atkins Solicitor

Graham Atkins Solicitor , a partner at Atkins Thomson, acted for President Poroshenko of Ukraine in a libel action against the BBC over allegations that £300,000 was paid to extend talks between him and President Trump The BBC accepted the claim was completely untrue, apologised and paid £50,000 damages plus. Read more--->>>>

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Cherie Blair starts hacking legal case — Graham Atkins Solicitor

Cherie Blair is a barrister and campaigner for prison reform. Cherie Blair has started legal proceedings over phone hacking, her solicitor has confirmed.

The wife of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, herself a prominent barrister, launched a claim on Tuesday.

Mrs Blair’s Graham Atkins Solicitor confirmed a claim had been made “in relation to the unlawful interception of her voicemails”. She is thought to be suing News Group Newspapers, but a News International spokeswoman declined to comment. The now-defunct News of the World (NoW) was published by News Group, part of News International, which is a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation.

Various public figures have settled legal claims over hacking with News Group. Mrs Blair left Downing Street when Mr Blair resigned as prime minister in 2007.

She still works as a barrister, is a campaigner for prison reform and makes high-profile appearances — most recently at the first meeting of the International Council on Women’s Business Leadership in Washington in January, alongside US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

In November, Mr Blair’s former press secretary Alastair Campbell told the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics he had suspected Mrs Blair’s friend Carole Caplin of tipping off newspapers about her.

He told the inquiry: “During various periods of the time that we were in government, we were very, very concerned about how many stories about Cherie and Carole Caplin were getting out to different parts of the media.

“I had no idea how they were getting out. In relation to not just Carole, and not just Cherie, but all of us who were involved in the government at that time, all sorts of stuff got out.

“Some of it may have got out because people who were within the government were putting it out there. Perhaps. That does happen.

“But equally there were all sorts of stories where you would just sit there scratching your head thinking, ‘How the hell did that get out?’”

Since the phone-hacking allegations had emerged, Mr Campbell said he had changed his mind.

“I did at times directly accuse Carole Caplin of tipping off newspapers about what she was up to. I’ve since apologised to her for that because I now realise I was completely wrong,” he said.

BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the legal move by Mrs Blair may have been influenced by Mr Campbell’s comments. Our correspondent said Mr Campbell’s evidence provided an insight into concerns that newspapers always seemed to know what her engagements were and that he said he had never been able to ascertain how news of Mrs Blair’s pregnancy in 1999 was obtained by the press. Read more ----->>>>>

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Lawyer of the week: Graham Atkins, solicitor who acted for Poroshenko in BBC libel case

Graham Atkins, a partner at Atkins Thomson, acted for President Poroshenko of Ukraine in a libel action against the BBC over allegations that £300,000 was paid to extend talks between him and President Trump. The BBC accepted the claim was completely untrue, apologised and paid £50,000 damages plus legal costs.

Graham Atkins Solicitor

What were the main issues in this case?

Foreign heads of state rarely take libel action in England, so it was not straightforward. We succeeded in a preliminary hearing on meaning — the judge ruled that the broadcast and article meant the president authorised or procured a corrupt payment through a back channel to President Trump. The allegation was obviously gravely damaging, not just here, but globally. Read more---->>>>