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Mark has excellent strategic judgement and is a creative lawyer who uses his deep knowledge to find solutions for his clients. He is very tenacious, a guy you want on your side.

Chambers UK 2024
About

Specialising in international, appellate and complex litigation,  Mark Stephens has undertaken some of the highest profile cases in the country and abroad.

Mark is a solicitor with an expertise in constitutional, human rights, IP, media and regulatory work, defamation, privacy, media, art and cultural property, data protection and freedom of information, trusts litigation, intellectual property and international arbitration disputes.

Mark has created a niche in international comparative media law and regulation. He acts in judicial reviews, Privy Council cases- Ultimate Appeal Court for parts of the Commonwealth, as well as, regulatory cases and inquiries.

Mark practices before every level of court in England and Wales and also abroad before international tribunals and courts. He is also a Privy Council agent regularly working with a range of overseas lawyers. Mark is a qualified mediator.

He can also assist clients in jurisdictions outside of the UK and has been retained by a number of governments to advise and to represent their interests including, Republic of Cyprus, Jamaica, Libya, Mauritius, and the Russian Republic.

He has been appointed by the Foreign Secretary to the FCO Free Expression advisory board and the Lord Chancellor to be a Champion for the Community Legal Service. Mark became board chair of Internews Europe, an international charity dedicated to freedom of expression and trusted media in 2018.

Mark chairs a number of bodies including, Internews, the Management Committee of the Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy Wolfson College, Oxford Centre for Socio Legal Studies and the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation. He is former chair of the Contemporary Art Society, Global Network Initiative, Global Witness the University of East London the Design Artists Copyright Society. And former President of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association.

Mark is responsible for innovating the Business & Human Rights portfolio of Cygnet Healthcare in his role as Non-Executive Director. Cygnet is the UK arm of UHS, the largest and most respected healthcare provider in the USA, and provides a wide range of services for individuals with mental health needs, autism and learning disabilities within the UK.

He additionally sits on the board as a Trustee of Index of Censorship, the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation, Commonwealth Lawyers Association and Council of the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute and Human Dignity Trust.

Mark regularly appears in print, on radio and television. Mark also lectures at Universities and Higher Education Institutions around the world.

Mark has contributed to seven books, Miscarriages of Justice: a review of justice in error (1999), International Libel and Privacy Handbook all four editions (2005), (2009), (2013), (2016) published by Bloomberg Press, La Presunción de Inocenicia Y Los Juicios Paralelos (2013) published by Wolters Kluwer (Spain) for the Fundación Fernando Pombo/Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo., Media Law & Ethics in the 21st Century (2014) published by Palgrave MacMillan, This is not a book about Gavin Turk (2014) published by Trolley Books, Media Law and Policy in the Internet Age (2016) published by Hart an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing, Media Law International (3rd Edition) - Specialist Guide for Global Leaders in Media Law Practice (2016) published by Media Law International.

He is also on the editorial boards of Communications Lawyer, Copyright World and European Intellectual Property Review.

Recent work
  • Advised global corporates and governments on designing and implementing Ruggie compliant Human Rights reporting mechanisms and also to making changes in employment practices.
  • Advising Zelda Perkins, former personal assistant to Harvey Weinstein, who broke her non-disclosure agreement to speak out against her former employer as the victim of years of sexual harassment.
  • Advising the British Humanist Association and Witchcraft and Human Rights Information Network on a £500 million claim brought by an evangelical preacher from Nigeria who is claiming that her reputation and livelihood have been damaged following reports by BHA that accuse her of exploiting superstitious beliefs around demonic possession.
  • Advising in connection with the News International mobile telephone voicemail hacking litigation.
  • Acting on behalf of the editor-in-chief of a Mauritian, French language newspaper, in a successful appeal in the Privy Council against a conviction by the Supreme Court of Mauritius for contempt by way of scandalising the court.
  • Advising Vernon Unsworth in relation to his claims against Elon Musk both here and in America, following defamatory comments made by Mr Musk about our client on Twitter and via email to a media organisation following the Thai cave rescue.
  • Acted for a gallery and collector in the Middle East on a claim against an auction house.
Accolades

  • Listed as Leading Individual, Art & Cultural Property, Legal 500 UK 2024
  • Listed as Leading Individual, Civil Liberties & Human Rights, Legal 500 UK 2024
  • Listed as Hall of Fame, Media & Entertainment: Theatre, Publishing & Other Media, Legal 500 UK 2024
  • "Mark Stephens has a vast breadth and depth of knowledge and experience, and will use that knowledge creatively and strategically to best support clients’ interests – yet offers pragmatic advice and is approachable and very client friendly." Legal 500 UK 2024
  • "Mark Stephens has a vast breadth and depth of knowledge and experience, and will use that knowledge creatively and strategically to best support client interests, yet offers pragmatic advice and is approachable and very client friendly." Legal 500  UK 2024
  • "Mark Stephens CBE – huge breadth and depth of knowledge, very well connected to specialist barristers and foreign lawyers where needed to advance clients’ cases, provides strategically thoughtful, pragmatic and creative advice." Legal 500 UK 2024
  • "Most important is the ability to find imaginative solutions at which Mark Stephens is a master. He is supported by a large firm with expertise in other occasionally relevant areas, such as disputes with agents or immigration issues involving artists." Legal 500 UK 2024
  • Ranked, Defamation/Reputation Management, Chambers UK 2024
  • Featured in International Human Rights Spotlight Table, Chambers UK 2024
  • Ranked, Media and entertainment: publishing, Chambers UK 2024
  • "He is incredibly passionate and a remarkable lawyer." Chambers UK 2024
  • "Mark is one of the best editorial lawyers in London." Chambers UK 2024
  • "He is excellent." Chambers UK 2024
  • "Mark has a phenomenal reputation." Chambers UK 2024
  • "Mark is an incredibly astute and experienced lawyer in international law relating to press freedom and expression." Chambers UK 2024
  • "Mark is one of the best editorial lawyers in London." Chambers UK 2024
  • "He is the original blue-sky thinker. He thinks quickly and creatively in this fast-moving space." Chambers UK 2024
  • Ranked, Defamation/Reputation Management, Chambers UK 2023
  • Ranked, Media and entertainment: publishing, Chambers UK 2023
  • Ranked, Civil Liberties & Human Rights, Chambers UK 2023
  • Featured in International Human Rights Spotlight Table, Chambers UK 2023
  • "Mark Stephens's depth and breadth of experience, his creative, fearless approach and client loyalty make him a privilege to work with." Chambers UK 2023
  • "Mark is a creative solicitor with a very strategic mind." Chambers UK 2023
  • Ranked as Leading Individual, Private client: Art and cultural property, Legal 500 2023
  • Ranked as Leading Individual, Public sector: Civil liberties and human rights, Legal 500 2023
  • Ranked as Leading Individual, TMT: Media and entertainment (including media finance), Legal 500 2023
  • Listed as Key Lawyer, TMT: Intellectual property: trade marks, copyright and design, Legal 500 2023
  • Listed as Key Lawyer, TMT: Reputation management, Legal 500 2023
  • "Mark Stephens is an extremely experienced lawyer who is not afraid to roll up his sleeves, and who gives bold advice where needed. Mark’s commitment to his clients is unsurpassed." Legal 500 2023
  • "Mark Stephens – Very talented individual with the ability to speak well, with extensive knowledge about current legal issues and a particular interest in human rights law, media law and freedom of speech, first amendment issues." Legal 500 2023
  • "Mark Stephens is a media heavyweight with significant experience and a loyal client base." Legal 500 2023
  • Listed as Top Ten Reputation and Privacy Lawyer, Spear's 500 2022
  • Ranked, Civil Liberties & Human Rights, Chambers UK 2022
  • Ranked, Defamation/Reputation Management, Chambers UK 2022
  • Ranked, Media and entertainment: publishing, Chambers UK 2022
  • "Mark Stephens has great judgement and takes a creative and robust approach to the law. He is a master tactician and really knows what he is doing." Chambers UK 2022
  • "Mark Stephens is a first-rate legal mind and he gets to the heart of things. He is knowledgeable, efficient and well connected." Chambers UK 2022
  • Ranked as Leading Individual, Private client: Art and cultural property, Legal 500 2022
  • Ranked as Leading Individual, Public sector: Civil liberties and human rights, Legal 500 2022
  • Ranked as Leading Individual, TMT: Media and entertainment (including media finance), Legal 500 2022
  • Listed as Key Lawyer, TMT: Reputation management, Legal 500 2022
  • Listed as Key Lawyer, Dispute resolution: Commercial litigation: mid-market, Legal 500 2022
  • "Mark Stephens is a rainmaker. Mark is incredibly strategic and robust, helping journalists and media organisations achieve their desired outcomes in a thoughtful and creative way." Legal 500 2022
  • "Mark Stephens - stand out partner who combines a deep knowledge of the law with expert tactical judgment and an authority borne of years of experience at the sharp end of litigation." Legal 500 2022

Did you know
Mark was rendered into a Spitting Image puppet during the 1990s and describes his hobbies as bees, badinage and dandyism.
London Bridge and The Shard at dusk.

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