An Inherently Royal (Monarchs') Legal System Where Size Matters (Big Capital Eats the Small)
Hannah Gornall (Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys) wrote about the SLAPP verdict regarding Osborne Clarke just over 19 hours ago. Since we mentioned it last week we've decided to take a closer look at the firm, which is not old (only about a decade) and has already had 261 officers, 75 resignations. It is based in One London Wall, probably to justify high fees.
From their latest report (via Companies House):
From Gornall's new article:
In 2024, media lawyer Ashley Hurst, a partner at Osborne Clarke, was fined £50,000 by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) and ordered to pay £260,000 in costs in connection with a ‘SLAPP’, shorthand for ‘Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation’. The government defines SLAPPs actions as “an abuse of the legal process, where the primary objective is to harass, intimidate and financially and psychologically exhaust one’s opponent via improper means”. Claims of this type aim to discourage people from exercising rights to free speech, typically about matters of public concern or activism.The SRA charged Mr Hurst with professional misconduct, alleging amongst other things a lack of integrity. Mr Hurst duly appeared before the SDT in December 2024. The SDT found that Hurst had improperly attempted to stop solicitor and tax commentator Dan Neidle from publishing or discussing correspondence concerning the tax affairs of his then-client, former Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi.
But as far as I know this was exactly the intent. What he published was not false.
This case was covered last summer and we had spoken to Dan Neidle around that time (he wrote back). Dan Neidle was targeted by the same lawyer who targeted me not only once but several times (different 'clients' who had agreed between themselves to overwhelm me with quantity of claims) and also targeted my wife using the wrong name (intentionally; at trial he attempted to blame "third party" when interrogated under oath by my wife). They don't seem to think much of women (all the managers are middle-aged men).
It is really sad to see a system where rich oligarchs, people who work for oligarchs, and politicians (same) get their way. This reinforces the notion that justice is only for those who can afford it. █
Image source: Scenes relating to the life of Charles IV, King of Spain