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Overview
Jamie Hurworth is a Legal Director in the Media & Privacy team, based in London, with over 10 years’ experience advising clients on media, privacy and reputation management matters.
He has acted in some of the most prominent media and sports disputes, including Coleen Rooney’s successful defence of the widely publicised ‘Wagatha Christie’ libel claim and former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan’s successful defence in disciplinary proceedings arising from the Yorkshire cricket racism investigation.
He specialises in defamation, privacy, data protection and harassment, advising high-profile and high-net-worth individuals, business leaders, corporates, and public sector clients in the UK and internationally.
Jamie advises on urgent pre-publication matters, media litigation and broader crisis management issues arising from press scrutiny, online publications, social media activity, know-your-customer and compliance concerns, and other threats to reputation.
Drawing on a broader disputes practice, Jamie also advises on complex commercial litigation, international arbitration and sports regulatory proceedings, particularly where reputational considerations are central to the dispute.
Jamie is known for his strategic judgement, attention to key detail, clear and pragmatic advice, and commitment to securing exceptional outcomes in complex and challenging cases.
Expertise
Jamie specialises in:
- Defamation, misuse of private information, breach of confidence, data protection, and harassment.
- Pre-publication advice and media litigation.
- Content removal, online reputation issues, and social media disputes.
- Reputation management and crisis response.
- Commercial litigation and international arbitration, including shareholder and joint venture disputes, contractual claims and professional negligence.
- Sports regulatory and disciplinary proceedings.
- Injunctions, interim relief and emergency court applications.
Reported Cases
- Acted for Coleen Rooney in the successful defence of the widely publicised ‘Wagatha Christie’ libel claim brought by Rebekah Vardy (Vardy v Rooney [2022] EWHC 2017 (QB)).
- Acted for Michael Vaughan, former England cricket captain, in his successful defence of disciplinary proceedings arising from the Yorkshire cricket racism investigation.
- Acted for clients in a multi-jurisdictional international arbitration exceeding US$50 million, securing a significant arbitral award and successfully defending substantial counterclaims after a 3-week hearing.
- Advised leading corporates, senior executives, and high-net-worth individuals on pre-publication and post-publication issues arising from media scrutiny and reputational risk.
- Advised individuals in resolving know-your-customer and compliance issues arising from inaccurate media reporting.
Qualifications & Accreditations
Jamie qualified as a solicitor in 2017. He joined Payne Hicks Beach in 2025 and was promoted to Legal Director in 2026.
Prior to joining the firm, he gained international experience practising at a leading firm in New Zealand.
He holds a Law degree from Newcastle University and completed the Legal Practice Course at The University of Law.
Awards & Accolades
- Jamie is recognised by The Legal 500 as a Leading Associate in Reputation Management.
- He was also part of the team awarded Reputation Management Team of the Year at the British Legal Awards 2023.
- Jamie regularly writes and comments in the national and legal press on developments in defamation, privacy, and reputation management. He also featured in a Disney+ documentary series and co-created and co-hosted an award-winning podcast examining the Wagatha Christie litigation he acted in.
