Rachael Somerset

Rachael is an experienced disputes lawyer across sport, media and entertainment with a specialist practice in defamation, privacy, media crisis and reputation management, which she has handled at the highest level for newsworthy clients against national and international media outlets. Described by the Legal 500 (Media and Entertainment) as “Next Generation Partner” and “the one to watch – she is exceptional” Rachael is also ranked at a national level by the UK Wide Chambers Guide for Defamation and Reputation Management lawyers, an elite list of advisers.

At the outset of her career, over 15 years ago, Rachael worked on the first phone hacking cases leading to her portfolio of work in media litigation and reputation protection. She is passionate about protecting her client’s interests, and has successfully brought (and defended) libel, malicious falsehood, harassment and privacy claims including the notable High Court case in the Media and Communications List Parris v Ajayi ([2021] EWHC 285 (QB)). She is experienced in protection from harassment, media crisis management work and obtaining disclosure, often in urgent circumstances, having successfully secured in the High Court rare Norwich Pharmacal relief against social media providers to identify online perpetrators for celebrity clients.

She has years of experience in handling of “rights of replies” for her clients and her work has included managing media enquiries from journalists across all well-known national newspapers, media broadcasters such as BBC and ITV, online bloggers and those relying on whistleblower status often in an employment context. She has also handled libel defence work, including for insured clients. She excels in dealing with journalistic and broadcaster enquiries prior to publication, to ensure accurate content is published, compliance with applicable media regulations and to ensure harm to her clients is mitigated, whilst their privacy is protected. Rachael is experienced in working alongside Public Relations and Communications professionals to ensure creative, strategic outcomes.

Whilst naturally most of her work is confidential, her work over the years has included advisory services to a broad range of clients including top flight professional footballers (PL, EFL, WSL), football and rugby clubs, sporting organisations and individuals and managers working across football, golf, boxing, athletics and rugby, well-known actors, musicians, newsworthy OBE and MBE recipients, education clients, corporates, technology based clients, public sector clients, high profile charities (and trustees) and individuals in official public roles.

As part of her wider practice, Rachael handles a broad range of corporate and commercial disputes, claims arising from the Equality Act, regulatory disputes, civil employment disputes and has Inquiries Act experience.

Rachael lectures to leading individuals across sport on the Master of Sport Directorship (MSD) university course, including alumni from Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal Football Clubs. She is the current (and first female) Chair of the Pro Manchester Sports Industry Group and has been shortlisted across several industry awards for Lawyer of the Year and Partner/Principal Lawyer of the Year.