BBC experience

As Head of Legal - Freedom of Information and Contentious Data Protection at the BBC, Nicola has more than eight years’ experience as a barrister and extensive knowledge of all aspects of media and information law and data protection and regulation. While at the BBC, Nicola provided both pre-publication and litigation advice on a wide range of programmes including Panorama, Top Gear and Have I Got News For You. Nicola had responsibility for all FOI legal advice, internal reviews, complaints to the Information Commissioner and litigation, as well as advising on aspects of data protection compliance, significant cyber-incidents and data breaches, complaints, regulatory investigations and enforcement and litigation.

Examples of work 

Some of the work Nicola undertook while at the BBC included advising the corporation on the Pollard Review - an independent review relating to a curtailed Newsnight investigation which featured allegations of abuse by Jimmy Savile; successfully defending an injunction claim to prevent the broadcast of an edition of Panorama brought by the 'Fake Sheikh' Mazher Mahmood and successfully defending a claim for judicial review relating to the expiry of reporting restriction orders made in respect of young defendants in criminal proceedings.