Martin Soames Bio

Martin is a Partner in the Media and Publishing Teams. He is a specialist advising on publishing, defamation and privacy law and has an acute understanding of the commercial pressures of publication, deadlines and the need to balance editorial aims against legal risks and is also CEDR mediator. He originally worked as a commissioning editor in book publishing and his clients include national and international book publishers, magazines and high-profile individuals. Martin is highly ranked in Chambers UK: ‘a highly experienced publishing lawyer who maintains a vibrant publishing practice’. He is described as ‘a go-to practitioner for pre-publication publishing matters’: ‘he’s a speedy, careful, meticulous reader. He’s calm in a crisis and offers very balanced, measured advice’. Previous recommendations note that he gives “brilliant libel advice: succinct, cost-efficient, often entertaining and genuinely diligent”. Chambers commends his “invaluable insight into the media industry. Clients value his skill in assessing risk and negotiating his way through seemingly unwinnable situations.”