Nicola is an experienced media and intellectual property lawyer, who specialises in advising publishing clients at the pre-publication stage to assist in minimising risk whilst maximising editorial freedom. She advises against a background of extensive media litigation experience, having acted on both sides of the fence, for Claimants as well as Defendant publishers. This experience places her in an excellent position to give the pre-publication advice that has become her distinct focus. Nicola gets fully involved with the creative editing process for her publishing clients. She also has an understanding of the pressures of publication including deadlines.
Expertise
- Defamation
- Privacy
- Breach of Confidentiality
- Copyright
- Contempt of Court
Experience
- Extensive experience in providing pre-publication legal reports and editing advice to book and publishers on the full range of non-fiction and fiction material, including memoirs of celebrities, politicians, musicians and sports people, unauthorised biographies, misery memoirs, humorous books and wellbeing books
- A member of the ITN News pre-broadcast legal panel giving clearance from the newsroom, working with directly with journalists and editors
- Extensive experience in dispute resolution, including applications for Injunctions, acting for Claimants or Defendants, in defamation, privacy, infringement of copyright and contempt of Court claims
- Managed large-scale libel litigation for publishing clients, most notably Loutchansky v. Simon & Schuster and Mohammed Fayed v. Conde Nast
- Advised specialist media insurers in defamation and IP infringement claims
- Represented high profile individuals in libel claims, achieving prompt and successful settlements
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Recognised by The Legal 500 for Reputation Management (2021-2024)
“Nicola Thatcher is great at providing pre-publication advice.” The Legal 500 2024
Recognised by The Legal 500 (2021-2023) for Media and Entertainment
Career
Nicola qualified as a solicitor in 1992. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2009, she worked at the following firms:
- Pinsents
- Biddle & Co
- Manches