Jeffrey Smele
UK Guide 2025
Band 3 : Defamation/Reputation Management
Band 3
About
Provided by Jeffrey Smele
Practice Areas
Jeffrey is joint-head of the Media & Communications Disputes team. He advises clients on defamation, privacy and reputation management, and all aspects of the law relating to the media and journalism.
He regularly acts on high profile cases, including injunctions, often addressing the latest issues in privacy law, data protection and press regulation. He gives pre-publication advice to newspapers, publishers, broadcasters, and film producers, as well as advising clients who may be about to become the subject of media attention. He has particular expertise in the protection of reputation online, such as the removal of defamatory or harassing content from websites.
He also acts in commercial litigation, advising especially on cases with a media/technology element, and he has a particular interest in matters related to the video games industry.
He provides in house training for clients, and has been a guest lecturer in media law at City University, London and the London College of Communications.
Chambers Review
UK
Jeffrey Smele leads the media and communications disputes team at Simons Muirhead Burton. He advises newspapers, media outlets and high-profile individuals on a range of defamation and privacy matters. These range over handling injunctions, breach of confidence and libel claims, as well as pre-publication advice.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Jeff is pragmatic, commercial and incredibly knowledgeable. He is a pleasure to work with!"
"Jeff is a great thinker, quietly defending free speech in a way that is really effective. He is the go-to guy for a lot of the biggest media cases."
"Jeffrey is very good to work with."
"Jeffrey is a very smart guy and a good lawyer."
"Jeff is pragmatic, commercial and incredibly knowledgeable. He is a pleasure to work with!"
"Jeff is a great thinker, quietly defending free speech in a way that is really effective. He is the go-to guy for a lot of the biggest media cases."
"Jeffrey is very good to work with."
"Jeffrey is a very smart guy and a good lawyer."
Articles, highlights and press releases
3 items provided by Simons Muirhead Burton
Jeff Smele featured in The Lawyer
Following on from one of the “most reported entertainment industry stories of the last few years”, the libel trial of Johnny Depp vs. News Group Newspapers Ltd, Partner Jeff Smele has been featured in a great article in The Lawyer.
SMB listed in the Times Best Law Firms 2022
SMB have been listed in the prestigious Times Best Law Firms list for 2022. As a new entry, we are recognised for a number of notable cases that we have been involved with over the past year.
Media and Communication Disputes team shortlisted for major award
The Media and Communication Disputes team were shortlisted as a finalist in Litigation team of the year category at the Lawyer Awards.
Jeff Smele featured in The Lawyer
Following on from one of the “most reported entertainment industry stories of the last few years”, the libel trial of Johnny Depp vs. News Group Newspapers Ltd, Partner Jeff Smele has been featured in a great article in The Lawyer.
SMB listed in the Times Best Law Firms 2022
SMB have been listed in the prestigious Times Best Law Firms list for 2022. As a new entry, we are recognised for a number of notable cases that we have been involved with over the past year.
Media and Communication Disputes team shortlisted for major award
The Media and Communication Disputes team were shortlisted as a finalist in Litigation team of the year category at the Lawyer Awards.
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Simons Muirhead Burton
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