Gerard has been advising high-profile individuals in the political, sports and media world, along with high-net-worth individuals, for over 40 years. An experienced litigator and commercial lawyer, Gerard is extremely well placed to advise clients on a range of issues from defamation and privacy, blackmail and harassment, to music, film and sports agreements and music licensing deals. He also advises on civil fraud claims, commercial disputes often leading to international arbitrations and enforcement of international judgments and awards.
Gerard’s reputation in the market has led to clients from across the world (in particular, Monaco, France, the US and Israel) turning to him to protect their business and personal affairs.
Gerard is UK-based but he speaks fluent French and frequently travels to meet with clients.
Expertise
- Defamation and privacy
- Reputation management
- Media liaison
- Harassment injunctions
- Data protection
- Sports law and contracts, and sports regulatory proceedings
- Music, publishing and film business contract disputes and drafting related agreements
- Commercial litigation and international disputes
- Freezing and search and orders
- Breach of contract and contractual disputes
- Arbitration (ICC. LCIA and UNCITRAL)
- Intellectual property (copyright, trademarks, protection of confidential information, design rights and patents)
- Human rights law
- Mediation
Experience
Media & Entertainment
- Acted for two members of a world-famous pop group in a dispute between its members following the group’s break-up.
- Acted for a leading newspaper group in several claims for defamation.
- Advised a world-renowned female singer and celebrity on all aspects of her career ranging from recording and performance agreements through to publishing and theatrical contracts and copyright infringements.
- Permanent Counsel to an internationally famous singer.
- Acted for a film producer in an intellectual property dispute with the BBC in relation to a TV film made about the art of an internationally renowned photographer.
- Advised the lead singer of an acclaimed international pop group on her contractual rights under recording agreements including claiming substantial additional royalties from her former record company and producer/manager.
- Acted for the estate of a leading film producer in breach of copyright claims.
- Acted for a leading concert promoter in several contractual disputes with artists and recording companies and in other issues arising such as disputes with local authorities and stadia over noise pollution and licensing.
- Acted for a film producer in a major film dispute leading to an AFMA arbitration in Los Angeles.
- Drafted publishing agreements with leading publishers and all requisite contractual agreements on behalf of a world-renowned art collector.
Sports
- Acted for a leading football manager in a libel action resulting in the highest recorded award of damages by a jury against a national newspaper.
- Drafted employment and commercial contracts for international football managers and players and acted for football intermediaries in regulatory and commercial disputes.
- Acted for leading football, managers, officials, intermediaries and footballers in regulatory disputes and hearings including enquiries into corruption in football and all consequent reputational management issues.
- Drafted image rights agreements for an international footballer playing in the English league.
- Advised a leading Premiership footballer and his agent as to his status with his club.
- Acted for and attended before the French Football Federation on behalf of an international footballer who had not been paid by his former French football club.
- Acted for a renowned horse trainer and his family in reputational management issues and contractual disputes.
International Law & Human Rights
- Acted for a claimant in a leading case concerning state immunity and the question of whether state immunity can protect a Middle Eastern state and state individuals in relation to allegations of torture.
- Acted for an international tyre distributor as joint claimant with a leading international tyre manufacturer in an UNCITRAL arbitration against a leading multinational mining company.
- Acted for an international Middle Eastern conglomerate in claims for fraud, conspiracy and deceit in proceedings which took place in the courts of three different jurisdictions.
- Acted for in inventor in the mining business against a multinational mining conglomerate leading to an UNCITRAL arbitration taking place in Chicago.
International Arbitration
- Advised a recycling/pressure metal company, in an international arbitration dispute. During the course of the arbitration process, advantageous terms of settlement were agreed between the parties.
- Advised two Israeli scientific mining engineers in an ICC arbitration who had developed and sold a unique mining extraction process to one of the world’s major mining companies.
- Advised a senior politician in Georgia who brought arbitration proceedings as an investor against the State under the ICSID Convention.
- Acted for an international tyre company that supplied specialist tyres for massive mining vehicles at mines in Australia and South America. The mining companies refused to make payment because they said that the tyres were faulty. The claim was brought in England under auspices of the ICC. The claim was successful and the clients were awarded tens of millions of pounds in compensation.
- Advised on several sports arbitrations at FIFA, acting for both footballers and football clubs that have complaints against other clubs.
- Acted for a renowned international footballer who at the time had a claim against his former club, AS Monaco, for outstanding wages. Following a hearing in front of the French Football Federation, AS Monaco settled the client’s outstanding wages.
Politics
- Acted for senior political figures, international businessmen, entertainers, high-profile personalities, sportsmen and sports agents in contractual disputes and claims for libel and breach of privacy/misuse of confidential information against national newspapers and all international forms of media.
- Acted for senior political figures and UK and international businessmen on reputation management issues arising in the national and international media including proceedings for defamation, and engaging with national and international media including all principal written media ISP, social media and international broadcasting organisations.
Other
- Acted for a French champagne producer in an LCIA arbitration against a national distributor.
- Acted for a Jersey trust in a significant trust dispute having Isle of Man jurisdiction.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Recognised by the Legal 500 2025 for Media: Music
Recognised by the Legal 500 2025 for Media: Film & TV
Acknowledged by Chambers UK 2025 for his record of handling complex defamation and privacy issues, frequently on behalf of media industry companies and high-profile individuals.
Recognised in Chambers High Net Worth for Defamation/Reputation Management (2021-2024)
“Gerard is very good at delivering very pragmatic and sensible advice right from the outset.” Chambers High Net Worth 2024
“Gerard is easy to work with and great at handling clients.” Chambers High Net Worth 2024
Recognised by Best Lawyers (UK) in the practice area of Defamation Law (2023-2025)
“Gerard has a lot of high-profile clients and handles them extremely well. He is a very experienced solicitor generally and in media particularly.” Chambers UK 2024
“He has a good contact list and good feel for litigation in this area.” Chambers UK 2024
Recognised by The Legal 500 for Sport (2022-2025)
“Gerard Cukier – very effective in agent disputes and conducting arbitrations. Paul Daniels – knows football management disputes inside out.” The Legal 500 2025
“Gerard Cukier has in-depth understanding of the sector and business/regulatory issues. Client loyalty. And reasonable fees.” The Legal 500 2025
Recognised by The Legal 500 for Media & Entertainment: Music (2021-2024)
Recognised by The Legal 500 for Reputation Management (2021-2025)
“Gerard Cukier’s experience is second to none. His expertise in all cases related to media, whether concerning reputational matters, contract issues or contentious media litigation, stands out, as does his great skill with client management.” The Legal 500 2025
“Gerard Cukier has an address book as thick as anybody’s and a client care expertise that is unmatched.” The Legal 500 2025
“Gerard Cukier is a standout. The combination of expertise, practicality and determination, plus first-rate client handling, makes him a go-to practitioner.” The Legal 500 2024
“Gerard Cukier has an excellent client list and unparallelled client-care skills.” The Legal 500 2024
“Gerard Cukier is a safe pair of hands who has a depth of knowledge of issues which is extremely helpful.” Chambers High Net Worth 2023
“Gerard Cukier is highly experienced, very wise and commercially minded, and superb with clients.” Chambers High Net Worth 2023
“Gerard Cukier stands out for his combination of know-how and superb client-facing skills. Any media issue is in his sights.” The Legal 500 2023
“Gerard Cukier is very experienced, with good judgment and clients like and trust him.” The Legal 500 2023
“Gerard Cukier is a highly experienced sports lawyer with additional entertainment law experience.” The Legal 500 2023
“He always puts the client’s interests first, taking a long-term view and looking for a practical solution.” Chambers UK 2022
“Gerard Cukier always puts the clients” interest first. He recognises the dangers inherent in protracted litigation and will always take great care before advising a client to litigate. Combines great effectiveness in a classy unaggressive style. A master strategist.” The Legal 500 2022
Recognised by The Legal 500 2022 for Sport
“Gerard Cukier is user-friendly and committed with a deep understanding of the issues.” The Legal 500 2022
“Gerard Cukier is very experienced in the world of football, including manager and agent disputes. Paul Daniels has a mass of experience acting for managers in football.” The Legal 500 2022
“Excellent, reliable, trustworthy and thorough.” Chambers High Net Worth 2021
“He’s very good at managing clients and is very measured and calm.” Chambers UK 2021
“Gerard Cukier is a veteran of the industry who has tremendous experience and always offers wise and sensible counsel. A great listener, careful, considerate and very well connected to clients who are very loyal to him.” The Legal 500 2021
“Gerard Cukier has excellent contacts and can handle the most demanding of clients. Is able to bring his experience acting for publishers to bear when looking for solutions on behalf of claimants.” The Legal 500 2021
Gerard Cukier joined Keystone Law from Kingsley Napley in September 2019. He is highlighted for his record of handling complex defamation and privacy issues, frequently on behalf of media industry companies and high-profile individuals. Chambers UK 2020
Recommended in The Legal 500 2019
“brilliant client care”
Ranked in Chambers UK 2019
“He is very practical, knowledgeable and provides a commercial legal view on matters.”
Chambers UK 2019
“A great listener” who is “considered and thoughtful.”
Chambers UK 2019
“Active in sports litigation”
The Legal 500 2019
“an ‘Elder statesman’ in Sports Law”
The Legal 500 2019
“He is very practical, knowledgeable and provides a commercial legal view on matters.”
Chambers and Partners 2018
“An incredibly wise and experienced individual, who is honourable, reliable and trustworthy”
Chambers and Partners 2017
“brilliant network of contacts” and “roster of very impressive clients”
Other rankings: “courageous and imaginative” “a formidable opponent” “top-notch common sense libel lawyer”
Member of The Law Society
Member of The International Bar Association (IBA)
Member of London Solicitors Litigation Association (LSLA)
Member of International Sports Lawyers Association (ISLA)
Member of British Association of Sport and Law (BASL)
Career
Gerard qualified as a solicitor in 1980. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2019, he worked at the following firms:
- Kingsley Napley
- Manches & Co