Giles Crown 
Head of department
Media, Brands and Technology 
Giles Crown 
I help my clients avoid disputes and manage them when they do occur through negotiation, mediation or, if necessary, litigation. I specialise in intellectual property, media and regulatory issues with a particular focus on advertising, marketing and brands. My clients include advertising and digital agencies, brand owners, media organisations, technology companies and insurers.

Areas of Expertise


Some specifics

I help clients avoid disputes and manage them when they do occur through negotiation, litigation or other forms of dispute resolution.

A typical day would see me advising an advertising agency on the legal and regulatory risks involved in a new comparative advertising campaign and how to minimise them, preparing for a court application to stop unauthorised use of a brand owner’s logo, then discussing how best to deal with a defamation complaint that has just come in to a magazine publisher client.

Media relations and public speaking

I am the author of the textbook “Advertising Law and Regulation” (Butterworths) and contributor to “Ad Law” published by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising. 

I'm a member of the Advertising Lawyers’ Group, the Administrative Law Bar Association, the British Brands Group Lawyers’ Group and on the Committee of the Branded Content Marketing Association.

I'm regularly asked to speak on advertising, brand, media and IP matters and recommended as a leading lawyer in those fields by the legal directories. I regularly write and am quoted in articles for industry journals and the national press, covering topics such as transparency in media agency contracts, the regulation of television and radio advertising, comparative advertising and the protection of intellectual property.

Recent examples of work

- acting for Whirlpool, the manufacturer of the iconic KitchenAid kitchen stand mixer in relation to a High Court trade mark infringement claim over a 3-D mark against Kenwood

- acting for ‘3’, the mobile telephone company in defence of a trade mark infringement and passing off action brought by O2 arising from a comparative advertising campaign which progressed through the High Court and Court of Appeal up to the European Court of Justice and is now the leading European case on comparative advertising

- defending a fast food company against claims by UEFA over a football championship linked promotion

- representing a multinational car company in relation to its IP and brand protection work.

Additionally I regularly advise clients on disputes with advertising and media industry regulators, including judicial review and human rights’ issues.

Clients

Hutchison 3G UK, Nissan Motor GB, Whirlpool, TBWA UK Group, one of the largest advertising and marketing groups in the country.

Qualifications and other experience

MA Cambridge, LLM London (Merit).

I spent 5 years as a Barrister at leading defamation and media set One Brick Court.  During my time there I was involved in many high profile actions, including acting for Bruce Grobbelaar in his libel action against The Sun newspaper (represented by George Carman QC). I then became Head of Legal and Business Affairs for the TBWA UK Group, one of the largest advertising and marketing groups in the UK. I joined Lewis Silkin in December 2001, re-qualified as a Solicitor, and became a Partner in April 2003.

I have higher court rights of audience and am an accredited CEDR mediator.

I'm human too...

I live in Ealing with my wife Nicki and our three children. I cycle into work and do the occasional triathlon. I like to travel whenever possible and go to the theatre and cinema when the demands of looking after three young children allow!

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Contact

T:+44 20 7074 8090 

E:giles.crown@lewissilkin.com