Lawyer in the news

Who? David Price, 39-year-old sole principal specialising in media law at London-based David Price Solicitors & Advocates.

Why is he in the news? Represented television personality Keith Chegwin, who this week won an apology from The People newspaper for printing untrue and damaging allegations.

The paper claimed on its front page that Mr Chegwin was planning to commit criminal offences by bribing police officers to reveal confidential information about other celebrities for a new television programme, 'Stars and their Cars'.

The paper admitted the allegations are false, and has published an apology and read a statement in open court.

It has made a substantial offer of damages to Mr Chegwin.

Background: LLB at Manchester University 1983-86 followed by Law Society finals at the College of Law at Lancaster Gate in 1987.

He qualified in 1990 with Theodore Goddard, before spending six months at 1 Brick Court chambers.

He then freelanced as a libel reader for national newspapers, setting up his firm in 1993.

Route to the case: 'I was recommended by another lawyer.'

Thoughts on the case: 'My first thought on seeing the story was that it was too bad to be true.

My client is not the kind of guy who ends up in the libel courts, and he has put up with the usual articles which appear when you are a television star.

However, this was an attack on his integrity - he was accused of criminal activity, which is unprecedented.

We are currently considering what the long-term financial effects of the story are on Keith's career, and whether to accept the paper's offer of damages.'

Dealing with the media: 'I have been involved with several high-profile cases, such as Paul Burrell's injunction against the Sun and the Blair family's former nanny Ros Marks in a defamation case.

Libel actions are about restoring people's reputations and what people think of you, so how the case is portrayed in the media is very important.

The issue is often not whether you've won, but whether you're perceived to have won, and so it's vital to handle the media well.'

Victoria MacCallum