Bannatyne, Kirkwood, France & Co

Partners: Campbell Deane, Robert Taylor, Alison McKenna, Rory Cowan
Consultants: David Deane and Angela McCracken

Firm Details

Established in 1785, the largest media law practice in Scotland, specialises in claimant and defendant media law and defamation, representing several national newspaper companies and broadcasters. Other areas of expertise include, corporate, employment law, reparation, commercial property and trusts.

Main Areas of Practice 

The firm counts among its clients corporate and individual clients as well as major newspapers, broadcasters and publishing houses. It is renowned for its expert and practical advice both pre and post publication. It has expertise in defamation, contempt of court, privacy and data protection. It also provides assistance and guidance for those that are left aggrieved by the media including defamation actions, interdict and Regulatory complaints to IPSO and Ofcom. Clients include, Associated Newspapers; The Scotsman Publications; Scottish and Universal Newspapers; Independent Newspapers; The Guardian; The Observer; Daily Record and Sunday Mail Ltd; ITN; Channel 4; Channel 5; Sky News, MPs and MSPs; Members of the House of Lords, and personalities of the stage, screen and television, including Equity. The firm also represents numerous independent broadcast production companies providing pre and post broadcast and regulatory advice. It also benefits from a respected civil court department dealing with commercial and contractual disputes. It further enjoys a strong reputation in corporate law specialising in corporate finance with particular emphasis on M&A work, including business start-ups, MBOs, joint ventures and commercial contracts.

The principal point of contact is Campbell Deane has been a partner at BKF since 1996 and heads its media and entertainment department. He was Assistant Editor of Tolley’s Journal of Media Law and Practice from 1995-97 and has been the News Editor of Tolley’s Communications Law since 1997. He has lectured in Senior Honours at Glasgow University in defamation and contempt and has addressed the Scottish Weekly Newspaper Society and the Franco British Lawyers Society on the development of the law of privacy. He has written widely on defamation, contempt and privacy issues both academically and in the press. He authored the section on Scotland in Carter-Ruck on Libel and Privacy Sixth Edition. Campbell gave evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Education and Culture Committee following Lord McCluskey’s Report on Press Regulation in Scotland after the Leveson Inquiry. He sits on the Advisory Group for the Scottish Law Commission project on defamation.