Position: |
Partner |
Department: |
Intellectual Property/Rights |
Email: |
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Telephone No: |
+44 20 7468 2673 |
Downloadable vCard: |
Kevin Bays
Kevin trained at niche entertainment firm Wright Webb Syrett and qualified in 1979. He became a partner in Wright Webb Syrett in 1983 and led the merger of that firm with Davenport Lyons in 1995. He is a member of the firm's Governing Board.
Kevin has over 30 years experience as a commercial litigator but is perhaps best known for his media law practice. He specialises in libel, privacy, data protection and copyright issues and has been involved in a large number of significant and high profile cases on behalf of publishers and broadcasters. He is recognised in the Legal 500 and Chambers directories as a leading practitioner in these fields.
Kevin has acted for a large number of national newspapers, book and magazine publishers over many years, including the Mirror Group, Penguin Books, Random House, HarperCollins and Private Eye. He has gained a wealth of knowledge and expertise in dealing with publishers, journalists and in-house lawyers. He also has experience of copyright disputes and proceedings before the Copyright Tribunal.
Recent experience includes:
- Successfully advising the Mirror newspaper regarding the validity of recoverable success fees before the ECHR. The issues decided related to both the law of privacy and to the compatibility of the current CFA regime with Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
- Acting for the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and the People in numerous libel claims.
- Representing Penguin Books in David Irving’s “Holocaust Denial” libel claim.
- Representing CSC Media’s seven music channels on a reference to the Copyright Tribunal.
Kevin has been at the forefront of “Reynolds privilege” in recent years having acted in the well-known cases of Al Fagih and Galloway.
Kevin has spoken at a number of conferences and seminars and in Chambers he was referred to as “incredibly good eye for detail and commercial common sense” and “he is the best litigation lawyer I have ever come across: thorough, conscientious and perfect at combining tactics and judgement”.
Kevin is married with 2 children and when time permits enjoys golf, tennis and skiing.
