In the superyacht industry, reputation is everything. A single incident can escalate into a full-blown media storm, threatening the privacy and standing of everyone involved. Our latest interview with Daniel Taylor, Managing Partner at Taylor Hampton Solicitors, delves into the crucial steps yacht owners and crew must take to protect their reputation from damaging press coverage. Discover expert legal strategies to navigate the choppy waters of public scrutiny and maintain your sterling reputation.
Written by Daniel Taylor for Our Faceless Crew
Imagine there's an incident on a superyacht and soon after, news spreads to the national and international press, including the tabloids. They're speculating about what happened, suggesting it could be anything from drugs to other troubles, or worse. They threaten to publish a story in their newspapers the next day. Reporters then approach crew members for comments and take photos. Privacy and reputation are crucial for the owner, especially if there have been previous incidents related to the vessel or to the owner themselves.
Reputation matters a lot in the superyacht industry, just like in any other field. People involved, like crew members and advisors, rely on having a good reputation. When the news is wrong or exaggerated, it can cause considerable damage to individuals, organizations, and families. So, here we're going to explore how superyacht management and crew can respond legally to prevent harm to the parties involved.
When facing potential bad press, specialist legal advice should be sought immediately. Taylor Hampton Solicitors, a law firm based in London, specializes in this area. The firm has a long history of protecting high-profile individuals against unwanted media issues and have been involved in many of the leading cases against the UK press over the years.
To understand what firms like Taylor Hampton Solicitors do, it's important to understand what libel or slander is. Libel is the written word, slander the spoken word. For a communication to be actionable in court in England, it must cross the threshold of serious harm to an individual’s reputation. If a corporate entity is involved, then it must also cause serious financial loss to the entity.
Dealing with reputation issues requires careful handling. Defamation law, like other laws, has grey areas and also there are specific defences which are available to the press to give them immunity from a law suit.
There have been numerous cases in the superyacht industry where owners, crew and management have ended up in court and their reputations damaged. But there are also many of these cases that get settled quietly after intervention by lawyers.
So, if someone in the superyacht industry finds themselves in a tough spot like this, what should they do? According to Daniel Taylor, Managing Partner of Taylor Hampton solicitors, the first step is always to act as fast as possible and gather all the facts with the client so that legal intervention can be threatened in the appropriate case. If the story hasn't been published yet, the entities proposing to publish should be sent what is known as a Pre-Action Protocol letter informing them why, in the appropriate case, the allegations are false and defamatory. The letter will also explain why the allegations should not be published, and threaten that if they are, redress will be sought, including an apology, an undertaking not to repeat, damages and costs and possibly vindication in open court.
Silence once a response is requested by the press is not usually an option. Under the defamation laws of England, once a response is requested it should always be given otherwise the press can claim that a response was sought but none was forthcoming, so affording a defence to the publication even if it is defamatory.
Also, to ensure that there no leaks from the crew, all staff should immediately be reminded of their obligations on confidentiality laid down in their employment contracts so that rumours or false information do not emanate from the staff. Having one point of dissemination of information is of huge importance.
Reputation is incredibly important in the superyacht industry because of its nature. It's a small community where everyone knows each other. Every year yachts are getting bigger, going up in value, with more crew on board and more incidents likely to happen. Obtaining expert advice at speed is the key to effectively dealing with difficult scenarios which may cause reputational harm.
Daniel Taylor is the managing partner of Taylor Hampton Solicitors, an innovative, multi award winning firm based in London. Their clients range from high profile clients including Sir Elton John, Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley, to small businesses, family offices and individuals. They are considered leaders in defamation, privacy, phone hacking and internet litigation.
For more information: Contact Daniel Taylor at daniel.taylor@taylorhampton.co.uk, +442074725971 www.taylorhampton.co.uk
