Alasdair is a very experienced disputes lawyer with a stellar reputation in the media dispute resolution field. He is now a consultant to the firm, continuing to oversee various cases and to work on selected others.

His media practice involved many of the leading cases in the field. He has secured six figure libel damages and multi-million-pound settlements in commercial litigation cases.

Alasdair’s approach is to avoid legal and/or arbitration proceedings where possible, but if they are necessary, vigorously to pursue them with the aim of achieving a satisfactory settlement. He has taken many cases to trial when a sensible settlement has not proved possible.

Media Dispute Resolution

Alasdair has undertaken a great deal of pre-publication work often with threatened coverage on television programmes, newspaper and online. He works closely with public relations consultants, including in house advisers and external agencies.

Alasdair has also undertaken a very considerable amount of work on the internet securing the removal of online material or reducing its visibility. This is with all the main search engines and platforms. For clients he has succeeded in having multiple articles and hundreds of links taken down, making a real difference to the online profile of his clients.

He has also undertaken numerous complaints about third party ‘Know Your Client’ due diligence and other such reports.

Alasdair is used to dealing with the media from around the world, especially in the United States, South Asia and the Middle East.

Alasdair’s practice encompasses dealing with the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Ofcom and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), among other such organisations.

Commercial Dispute Resolution

Alasdair has had very successful Commercial Dispute Resolution practice. This has included actions for claimants (a) in relation to pension, private equity release, film finance and option award schemes; and (b) over property transactions, as well as other professional negligence claims, and most recently the successful defence of an action bought by a private equity investor claiming over £10million in interest. His success is against solicitors, accountants, independent financial advisers, banks and others.
Alasdair continues to be a key senior member of the firm’s team which is handling one of the largest and most complicated ICSID arbitration ever brought.

Alasdair is highly ranked in the key legal directories, Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners, who report:

  • Chambers 2022 report ‘he is very collaborative and accessible. He is also forensic and tenacious’
  • Legal 500 2022 sources report ‘Alasdair has considerable experience in managing complex international arbitrations’
  • Chambers & Partners 2021 report ‘He’s an absolutely outstanding lawyer. He just knows instinctively how to get the best deal for his client.’ ‘He’s a brilliant claimants’ lawyer.’
  • Chambers 2020 sources comment ‘he’s a veteran in this field and nothing gets past him – he can spot a needle in a haystack and pull it out with laser-sharp precision.’
  • Legal 500 report that Alasdair is a name to note for pre and post-Publication cases
  • Alasdair is listed in the Spears Wealth 500 2020 Directory
  • Legal 500 2020 highlight that ‘Alasdair is a stalwart of the media law sector and is always a voice of authority on often complex cases.’
  • ‘One of the most experienced media lawyers in the business.’ (Legal 500 2019)
  • ‘Well regarded for his media practice and has particular expertise in pre-publication work. He acts for a variety of high-profile clients, ranging from politicians and Royals to business people.’ (Chambers & Partners)
  • ‘Has a thriving commercial litigation practice suing banks and other financial institutions in particular.’ (Chambers & Partners 2019)
  • Viewed as having ‘a no nonsense style, gets things done and clients like him’. (Legal 500 2019)
  • ‘Alasdair Pepper is incredibly bright and leaves no potential avenue un-investigated and has a significant libel and privacy practice providing both pre and post-publication advice to clients.’ (Chambers & Partners 2018)

Alasdair’s diverse client base has included:

  • Multi-national and national companies, chairmen and managing directors from a range of industry sectors
  • Some of the wealthiest businessmen in Britain and from around the world
  • Members of various royal families
  • Members of the House of Lords, MPs and MEPs
  • Judges, barristers and solicitors
  • Human Rights Campaigners
  • Film directors, actors and actresses
  • The Football Association, Premiership football clubs, chairmen of football clubs and premiership footballers
  •  Broadcasters, newspapers and book publishers

Committee and other work: Alasdair has been involved in:

  • Committee set up at the request of Lord Justice Jackson which considered means by which the early resolution of libel claims could be achieved
  • Law Society’s committee on the pre-action protocol for media related actions
  • Committee that considered so called ‘super injunctions’ set up and chaired by the then Master of the Rolls, Lord Neuberger
  • Working Group commissioned by the Civil Justice Council tasked with identifying the need, and possible mechanisms, for providing costs protection to parties to publication and privacy proceedings
  • Media and Communications List User Group Committee under the chairmanship of The Hon. Mr Justice Nicklin. The Committee comprises practitioners from private practice, in-house lawyers, barristers and others, and reviews proposals for the effective case management of cases in the Media and Communication List. The List was created in March 2017 to take primary responsibility for cases arising from publication or threatened publication by print, broadcast, online and social media
  • Alasdair was a long-standing member of the Media Section of the International Bar Association and has spoken at conferences around the world
  • Under the auspices of the Civil Justice Council, Alasdair was at the forefront of Carter-Ruck’s efforts to mediate aspects of its CFA scheme with publication lawyers. He has also been regularly invited by the Civil Justice Council to conferences held by it into aspects of litigation which it is reviewing. In 2009 Alasdair appeared before the Cultural, Media and Sports Select Committee of the House of Commons in a briefing seminar for the Press Standards, Privacy and Libel Inquiry. On 24 October 2011, Alasdair gave evidence before the Joint Parliamentary Committee of the House of Lords and House of Commons on Privacy and Injunctions