Caroline qualified as a solicitor in 1985 and prior to becoming an independent media consultant in 2024 she was head of media litigation and publishing at law firm Wiggin LLP, which she co-founded in 2003.
She has immense experience in resolving complex media disputes, having successfully defended many of the most high profile and ground-breaking defamation and privacy claims of recent years. In 2023 she headed the team that won The Lawyer ‘Litigation Team of the Year’ award for her work defending Catherine Belton’s book ‘Putin’s People’ and Tom Burgis’ ‘Kleptopia’, both published by Harper Collins.
She has acted for newspaper and book publishers and authors, Hollywood majors and UK Film and TV companies, giving strategic advice both before and after publication.
Caroline is a vocal opponent of SLAPPs and works with a number of organisations lobbying for changes in the defamation law to protect those who share information in the public interest.
I’m first and foremost a problem solver. Clients come to me because they have a legal issue or a question that they need answering – my job is to help them find a solution.
Sometimes that means issuing proceedings and sometimes it means being determined to go all the way to trial if that’s in that client’s commercial best interests. But that’s rare. Mostly it’s about taking the time to really understand the issues from that individual client’s point of view and working out a strategy that will resolve their problem. Success very rarely involves winning a trial or setting a legal precedent. For most clients, success means achieving their commercial requirements at a cost that’s right for them.
I generally work with clients who are involved in the media business, like publishers and Film & TV companies. I never lose sight of the fact that while the client might be a company, the person instructing me is an individual who needs to demonstrate to their colleagues, their board, their shareholders, that they are in control of what can be bet-the-company issues.
For the time that I’m working on a problem I get to dive into my very different clients’ worlds and get up to speed on incredibly diverse matters. Every case is different and plunges you into a new world with a new set of issues – even after more than 30 years in the job it’s still genuinely fascinating. And of course, most of all, I like winning.
What Clients Have Said:
“Caroline Kean is a formidable opponent. A tough, strategic lawyer. She fights very hard for her clients but fights fair. She’s really experienced, demonstrates good judgement, is good on strategy and knows the law well. She can cut through the noise and confusion and head off problems before they become very serious. Sources describe her as a “class act” and a “personable, experienced and engaging” lawyer.”
“A very seasoned practitioner, Caroline Kean is one of the doyennes of this world, she knows it all. Every phone call with Caroline is a masterclass in how to handle litigation.”
“Caroline Kean has a remarkable ability to stay cool and think clearly in the face of even the most aggressive or underhand tactics. She speaks in plain English. Again and again, her assessment of risks in our high-stakes case was vindicated. Her intuitive grasp of the law – and of justice – gives her an ability to form strategy that is confident without ever being reckless. Caroline Kean is one of the doyennes of the media law world; a highly experienced practitioner with great knowledge of the law and a feel for tactics and strategy which is always clear and decisive and commercial.”
“Caroline is outstanding. She is a pleasure to work with and is intelligent, inventive, reassuring and charming. She’s a pleasure to work with, her clients love her and she’s got a great reputation. She’s a very well-known name in this market and a respected practitioner. Caroline is a brilliant and highly experienced lawyer who is excellent with media clients, an astute negotiator and a pleasure to deal with.”
“Caroline Kean is experienced and savvy – she knows the media sector and is trusted by numerous blue-chip clients. Her advice is fantastically efficient. She is commercial and decisive in her approach. A complete heavyweight, she has excellent instincts. Caroline Kean is not only an expert in the field of media freedom and strategic litigation against public participation but personally committed to it. Communicates well and is very easy to work with.”
“A long-term warrior in this field, Caroline is well connected, calm and has very good judgement. She is one of the greats of this area and knows the field well. She is able to lead clients through the cases with great aplomb. Caroline is an inspirational leader in her field. She exudes a calm confidence. She is absolutely the top of the top for what she does. She is very impressive and very responsive.”
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