Jeffrey Smele quoted in Financial Times on Trump’s libel claim against BBC
Head of Media & Communications Disputes, Jeffrey Smele was quoted extensively in an article in the Financial Times on 17 December 2025, addressing the question – ‘ Why is Donald Trump suing the BBC – and will he win?’.
When asked how strong the case was, Jeffrey explained that he believed the claim to be “extravagant” and that the BBC had “some good grounds on which to fight” while President Trump “is going to face a challenge establishing real damage”.
This comes as the US President seeks billions of dollars in damages over the BBC’s editing of a speech he made in 2021.
To find out more about SMB’s highly regarded Media Disputes Practice, click here.
Other News
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29th July 2026
Saul Lehrfreund and Parvais Jabbar appointed to the House of Lords
We are delighted that Saul Lehrfreund and Parvais Jabbar have been appointed to the House of Lords as life peers, recognising their outstanding contributions to human rights, access to justice and criminal justice reform.
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29th July 2026 Family
SMB Retains Band 1 Ranking for Family and Matrimonial Finance
SMB is delighted to again have been awarded Band 1 ranking for Family and Matrimonial Finance in the latest Chambers High Net Worth Guide.
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29th July 2026 Corporate, Commercial & Finance
Data Protection Complaints – Action needed for every data controller
Much of the attention around the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (DUAA) has focused on technical changes that appeal to data protection geeks (like me and my colleagues?) such as the scope of a reasonable and proportionate search, how controllers can use automated decision-making and a broad lawful basis of legitimate interests for scientific research. However, one of the most immediate practical changes for all organisations is the introduction of a formal requirement to have a process for handling data protection complaints. This affects every organisation that processes personal data.
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