Hubert Best, partner
Hubert is an international intellectual property and media lawyer who practises as a solicitor in London and as an EU advocate through the Stockholm firm ENN. He advises clients based in many parts of the world including the USA, EU, China and Australia.
A recognised expert in international copyright law, he specialises in new media, particularly exploitation of audiovisual and music content in online and mobile environments. He is an authority on conflict of law and multi-jurisdiction issues.
He also specialises in large media events. For example, he advised the producer of the Athens 2004 Olympic Ceremonies - watched live by 4 billion worldwide, and exploited in all media new and old - and the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in March 2006.
He writes and comments in the media and is credited in Chambers Directory and The Legal 500. [Link to articles]
A prize-winning graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, London, Hubert was Cathedral Organist and Master of the Choristers in Birmingham and Jerusalem before becoming a solicitor, and continues as an international organ recitalist.
Other positions held:
Hubert is an external examiner and visiting lecturer in intellectual property law at Queen Mary and Kings
Colleges, London University and Stockholm University.
Colleges, London University and Stockholm University.
Professional experience:
2003-2006:
Partner, Bird & Bird
2001-2002:
Partner and International Head of Media, Hammonds
1995-2001:
Solicitor then partner, Biddle & Co
1990 to 1995
Solicitor, Taylor Joynson Garrett
Hubert’s publications include:
The Pirate Ship Sails On
(e-Commerce Law and Policy – forthcoming publication, London)
Database Rights after the ECJ, William Hill and Svenska Spel
(Svensk Idrotts Juridisk Förening Artikelsamling, ISBN 91-85138-12-6, forthcoming publication, Stockholm)
Alfons Åberg, a Swedish parody
(World Copyright Law Reports – forthcoming publication, London)
Fair use? Fair dealing? Some legal issues in cross-border use of copyright archive footage
(Archive Zones, ISSN 1471-0633, Summer 2006, London)
Database Rights – the ECJ narrows the scope of protection
(Svensk Idrotts Juridisk Förening Artikelsamling, ISBN 91-85138-12-6, 2005, Stockholm)
Database rights and how to protect them (World Copyright Law Reports, 21 April 2005, London)
Database Rights – Advocate General’s Opinion points the way to valuable sports rights (World Copyright Law Reports, January 2005, London)
The Database Rights – football’s fairy godmother, or Cinderella’s pumpkin?
(Svensk Idrotts Juridisk Förening Artikelsamling, ISBN 91-85138-12-6, 2003, Stockholm)
Situating legal protections for copyright-related technological measures in the broader legal landscape: anti circumvention protection outside copyright (Association Littéraire et Artistique Internationale, 2001, New York)
Technological protection of copyright works, and copyright management systems (Association Littéraire et Artistique Internationale, 2001, New York)
Booty in the Eye of the Beholder – A look at German films and the UK Enemy Property Act 1953
(Archive Zones, ISSN 1471-0633, Spring 2001, London)
Spoils of War – A look at German films and the UK Enemy Property Act 1953 (Archive Zones, ISSN 1471-0633, Winter 2000/1, London)
Books:
Moral Rights (IAEL, ISBN 9067150314, 1993, Netherlands)
Broadcasting and other Secondary Exploitation - Regulations, Rights and Revenue (BACA, 1991, London)
Professional experience:
2001-2006:
Partner, DLA Piper UK LLP
1990-2001:
Solicitor then partner, Biddle & Co
Major cases
Berezovsky v Forbes – defending libel case brought against American magazine by Russian businessman; leading libel case on jurisdiction
Ashcroft v Times Newspapers Limited – libel action brought by former Treasurer of the Conservative Party
Al Fayed v Condé Nast – defending Vanity Fair in libel action brought by Mohamed Al Fayed
Derbyshire v Times Newspapers Limited, House of Lords – leading freedom of speech case
Bottomley v Express Newspapers – libel action leading to jury trial for member of Parliament
Upjohn v Oswald – two-year libel action leading to trial arising out of allegations of fraud published in New York Times
Sharp & Sultan v BBC – malicious falsehood action arising out of a BBC exposé of bogus AIDS treatment clinic
Hyde Park Residence v Trevor Rees-Jones, The Telegraph Group and Little, Brown – successfully resisting Al Fayed’s injunction to block publication of autobiography by survivor of Princess Diana car crash
Huddart v Express Newspapers – defamation action for consultant surgeon libelled on front page of Daily Express
Martin is a frequent contributor to and commentator on media issues and has commented on radio and television and in newspapers and trade press.
Martin Soames, partner
Martin specialises in litigation for the media industry and those dealing with it. He has experience of the House of Lords, the Court of Appeal and injunctions; he is also a CEDR-accredited mediator.
His specialist areas include litigation in libel, confidentiality, privacy and freedom of expression, copyright, malicious falsehood, false endorsement, contempt of court, breach of contract, plagiarism and all areas of publishing law including pre-publication advice. In addition, he advises on Ofcom and Press Complaints Commission codes and dealing with regulatory complaints.
Having worked in book and newspaper publishing, Martin appreciates the pressures on media clients. He acts for most of the major London publishers as well as journalists, editors and agents in traditional and digital media including books, magazines, newspapers and broadcasting.
He also represents non-media claimant companies and individuals in reputation management, defamation and other media disputes. Clients in this area include financial institutions, major corporations and professional bodies.
Martin writes and comments in the media and is a recognised specialist in libel credited in The Legal 500 and Chambers Directory.