Claimants include Prince Harry, Liz Hurley, Elton John, his spouse David Furnish
The Telegraph reported that Thomson Heath Jenkins & Associates – the lead solicitors for the seven celebrities who had brought a privacy action against Associated Newspapers Limited, the Daily Mail’s publisher – had gone bankrupt, called in insolvency practitioners, and closed its office.
According to its LinkedIn profile, Thomson Heath Jenkins is a London-based law firm of media, data protection, privacy, and defamation solicitors. The firm was established in 2009.
The Telegraph shared that a source at the firm said the bankruptcy was “a shock for staff.”
UK High Court proceedings
Mark Thomson, the firm’s founder and the 100 percent owner of its shares, acted as a coordinating solicitor for the counsel representing the seven high-profile figures: Prince Harry, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Sir Elton John, his husband David Furnish, Liz Hurley, Sadie Frost, and Sir Simon Hughes.
Individually, Thomson also acted on behalf of Frost and Hughes. According to The Telegraph, he was central to the supposed “camouflage scheme” that allegedly sought to circumvent the six-year deadline for initiating the action.
Thomson took the witness stand to provide evidence at the trial. Per The Telegraph, he turned on his own team’s researchers and said they might be emailing his clients with false and nonsensical claims without his knowledge.
Daily Mail publisher prevailed
In July, the UK High Court dismissed the privacy law proceeding, which included claims of phone hacking and landline tapping.
Given this loss, the celebrity claimants may be liable for a £34 million legal bill, pursuant to an indemnity order that went beyond the usual ceiling on their contributions toward Associated Newspapers Limited’s costs without the necessity of establishing that they were proportionate.
In a subsequent statement, Prince Harry criticized Matthew Nicklin, judge of the UK High Court, and described the 426-page ruling decision as “a complete and obvious whitewash.”
The Duke of Sussex and the other claimants can lodge an appeal against the ruling by Nov. 6.
According to The Telegraph, the impact of Thomson Heath Jenkins’ bankruptcy on the UK proceedings remained to be seen.
Related international law news
In August, The Law Society Gazette reported that Prince Harry was among the seven claimants who might have to pay significant legal fees to Associated Newspapers Limited after losing the legal challenge against the Daily Mail.
Justice Nicklin had rejected the argument that the British tabloid’s publisher had unlawfully invaded Prince Harry’s privacy in its reporting for around 50 stories. Nicklin found that the tabloid might have legitimate sources.
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