Hanna is a recognised leader in the field of defamation, privacy and breach of confidence, having acted in a number of landmark cases in the High Court.
As well as litigation, Hanna has a wealth of experience in media and crisis management and advises clients on strategies for preventing and dealing with significant reputational attacks. She is able to put a responsive strategy in place quickly and effectively when clients are facing unwanted media attention. She skilfully manages media storms.
Hanna also acts for her clients in more general litigation, regulatory matters, employment disputes and inquests where maintaining reputation or privacy is key. She has been involved in a number of high profile inquests, disciplinary hearings, employment claims and sports disputes, representing clients in the High Court, before coroners and before governing and regulatory bodies.
Chambers UK describes Hanna as “exceptional” and recognises that she “gains the confidence of clients in sometimes quite difficult circumstances.”
The Legal 500 UK describes Hanna as “first rate” and “highly knowledgeable.”
Qualified 1999, joined Payne Hicks Beach as a partner 2017.
Hanna is ranked by Chambers UK 2024 as a Leading Individual for Defamation/Reputation Management. The directory recognises Hanna for “her expertise in representing high-profile clients in an array of reputation management concerns including advising on privacy injunctions and confidentiality agreements, as well as data protection issues.” Commentators say that Hanna “is good at dealing with both corporate claims and individual claimants,” and “she is effective in building relationships with clients and delivering results for them.”
The Legal 500 UK 2024 ranks Hanna as a Leading Individual under Reputation Management, and is recommended under two other categories. The directory notes Hanna’s “extensive experience in defamation, privacy, harassment and data protection, with particular expertise in pre-publication situations.” Hanna is described as a “safe pair of hands” and “very experienced,” as well as “excellent, sensible, pragmatic and fearless in her advocacy for her client.” She is commended for being an “astute and commercially minded lawyer who is able to assist clients who have reputational issues to achieve the best result in the best way.”
Ranked as a Leading Individual in Chambers High Net Worth 2023, Hanna is described as “a standout, brilliant practitioner” who is “extremely helpful and provides unparalleled client-centred service, always going above what is expected.” She is further recognised for being “very calm and pragmatic and sees the bigger picture,” as well as being “great at negotiating for her clients.”
Hanna has been listed as a “Top Recommended Reputation & Privacy Lawyer” in the Spear’s 500 for five consecutive years and is listed in the Spear’s Reputation Lawyers Index 2023.
Recent Insights
September 06, 2023
Hanna Basha, Litigation Partner in the Media & Privacy recently commented for ABC Media Watch ...
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Does your client have a right to privacy over tax investigations?
January 31, 2023
Hanna Basha and Nick Grant’s article ‘Does your client have a right to privacy over tax ...
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The BBC ‘wrong guy’ – Hanna Basha for Media Watch
September 06, 2023
Hanna Basha, Litigation Partner in the Media & Privacy recently commented for ABC Media Watch ...
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Does your client have a right to privacy over tax investigations?
January 31, 2023
Hanna Basha and Nick Grant’s article ‘Does your client have a right to privacy over tax ...
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The changing privacy of sports stars – Hanna Basha writes for the Times
December 08, 2022
The FIFA World Cup 2022 demonstrates how much has changed for footballers’ and other sports st...
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Powers to search – Dispute Resolution Partners for Independent Schools Magazine
October 14, 2022
Dispute Resolution experts and Payne Hicks Beach Partners, Ane Vernon, Hanna Basha and Mark Jones gi...
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Privacy and Media Law expert Hanna Basha comments for Law360 on the Government’s proposed curbs on ‘strategic lawsuits against public participation’ (SLAPPs)
March 23, 2022
With the UK government taking evidence on how it can change the law to make it less costly and easie...
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Supreme Court privacy ruling to protect suspects in criminal investigations
February 21, 2022
The UK Supreme Court’s ruling in the ZXC v Bloomberg case means that suspects in the majority ...
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LexisNexis: Continuing online publication and the public interest defence (Lachaux v Independent Print and another)
July 27, 2021
Article by Nick Grant, Senior Associate specialising in privacy and media law in the Dispute Resolut...
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Is the UK still a top destination for international students in 2021?
May 24, 2021
International students have made up roughly 20% of the student population in the UK higher education...
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Schools: balancing discipline and privacy
May 13, 2021
Article by Ane Vernon, Partner and schools and education specialist lawyer and Hanna Basha, Part...
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Online Safety Act receives Royal Assent
November 20, 2023
Henry Watkinson and Hanna Basha of our Dispute Resolution Team go in-depth on the implications of th...
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Deepfakes: is the law capable of protecting individuals in light of new technology?
December 07, 2023
Following the Met’s decision that the deepfake audio of London Mayor Sadiq Khan ‘does not c...
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Was it Ever Realistic for Huw Edwards to Maintain his Privacy?
July 14, 2023
Mainstream media followed legal authority choosing not to name Huw Edwards until his wife revealed ...
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Public Interest v Public Protection
November 16, 2023
Earlier this month the Kings Speech revealed that s40 of the 2013 Crime and Courts Act would be repe...
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Georgia Harrison wins record damages and an injunction from Stephen Bear in her civil claim.
July 26, 2023
Georgia Harrison has won her civil claim against Stephen Bear, issued after he uploaded a video of h...
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‘Dated’ Official Secrets Act must now include public interest defence
May 04, 2023
Whistleblowing to hold government to account should not be deterred by matters of national security,...
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Key Libel Cases To Watch In The New Court Term – Hanna Basha features in Law360
October 16, 2023
Payne Hicks Beach Privacy and Media law Expert Hanna Basha comments on the changing face of defamati...
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Right to privacy: why the suspended BBC presenter remains anonymous – Hanna Basha comments for The Guardian
July 13, 2023
Hanna Basha, Partner in Privacy and Media Law comments on whether the BBC presenter in the latest sc...
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Narrower SLAPPs Crackdown Prompts Functionality Queries – Hanna Basha comments for Law 360
June 19, 2023
The government announced on Wednesday that it would expand the Economic Crime and Corporate Transpar...
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