Eleanor Steyn
Eleanor is a City-trained litigator who specialises in complex media/entertainment, reputation protection and commercial disputes.
Her experience is broad-based, encompassing copyright, performers’ rights, passing off/false endorsement, defamation, privacy, harassment and broadcasting disputes, as well as contractual, professional negligence and shareholder litigation. She has particular expertise in High Court litigation, but also has experience of disputes in the Copyright, Tax and Employment Tribunals. Since joining Simkins, she has advised many household names from the music, film, TV and publishing sectors, among others.
Eleanor’s reputation protection work involves seeking to safeguard the privacy and reputations of companies, HNW and other high-profile individuals, often working alongside communications specialists. She regularly provides both pre- and post-publication advice on defamation, privacy, breach of confidence, data protection and the media regulatory codes.
Before joining Simkins, Eleanor worked for Ofcom, the UK communications regulator. She has extensive experience of Ofcom’s sanctions process, as well as its procedures for handling complaints about programmes. She has a thorough understanding of the compliance issues that apply to television and radio broadcasts and is able to provide practical advice to those featured in programmes on their rights and remedies, or to broadcasters/producers as to how best to ensure compliance and avoid regulatory or legal action being taken