Carter-Ruck facts for kids
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| Headquarters | The Bureau, 90 Fetter Lane London, EC4A United Kingdom |
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| Major practice areas | Libel, privacy, international law and commercial disputes |
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| Date founded | 1982 |
| Founder | Peter Carter-Ruck |
| Website | www.carter-ruck.com |
Carter-Ruck is a law firm based in the United Kingdom. It was started by Peter Carter-Ruck. The firm helps people and companies with legal issues. They focus on cases about libel (false statements that harm someone's reputation), privacy, and disagreements between businesses. They also work on international law cases. Leading legal guides often rank Carter-Ruck as one of the best firms in the UK for media, libel, and privacy law.
The firm has faced some criticism for its strong approach in defending clients. This includes how they deal with journalists and government officials. For example, in 2022, a U.S. Congressman suggested that some Carter-Ruck lawyers should not be allowed into the United States. This was due to their work for certain wealthy Russian clients.
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About Carter-Ruck
The firm was founded in 1982 by Peter Carter-Ruck. He started the company after his previous business partners suggested he should retire.
Who Carter-Ruck Has Helped
Carter-Ruck has worked for many well-known people and organizations. Their clients have included the State of Qatar, famous film producer Cubby Broccoli, and the supermarket chain Tesco. They have also represented musicians like Sir Elton John and Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens). Other clients include actors like Jude Law and sports figures like Frank Bruno and Chelsea Football Club. The firm also helps many politicians and even national governments.
Cases for Russian Businesspeople
Carter-Ruck has represented Russian business people in various legal actions. One notable client was Boris Berezovsky. The firm helped him in cases against magazines and TV channels.
They were also involved in a legal case against journalist Catherine Belton. This was about her book, Putin's People. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Carter-Ruck stated they did not support the invasion. They also said they would not represent people connected to the Vladimir Putin government.
The Madeleine McCann Case
The firm has handled several libel cases related to the missing child, Madeleine McCann. They represented Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann. This was against newspapers like the Daily Express and Daily Star. These newspapers had published stories suggesting the parents might have been involved in Madeleine's disappearance.
The newspapers later published apologies on their front pages. They also paid £550,000 in damages. This money was given to the fund set up to find Madeleine. Carter-Ruck also advised the "Tapas Seven." These were friends dining with the McCanns when Madeleine went missing. Their complaints also led to apologies and a payment of £375,000. This money was also donated to Madeleine's Fund.
Working with the Church of Scientology
In 2008, Carter-Ruck acted for the Church of Scientology. They stopped Amazon from publishing a book in Britain. The book, The Complex: An Insider Exposes the Covert World of the Church of Scientology, was critical of Scientology.
In 2010, the firm represented the Church of Scientology again. This was regarding a BBC Panorama broadcast called "Secrets of Scientology." They claimed the journalist was biased. In 2016, Carter-Ruck sent letters to Louis Theroux and his team. This was during the making of his film My Scientology Movie. The letters threatened legal action to stop the film's release. However, the film was released in 2015.
The Trafigura Case
Carter-Ruck represented the company Trafigura in 2009. This was about news reports concerning waste from a ship in Ivory Coast in 2006. They took legal action against the BBC. The BBC's Newsnight program had suggested that Trafigura's actions caused deaths and injuries. The BBC later apologized on Newsnight and in court.
Other newspapers, including The Times and The Guardian, also published corrections about Trafigura. In September 2009, The Guardian reported that Carter-Ruck demanded they remove articles. These articles were about the Trafigura toxic oil disaster. Carter-Ruck said the articles were "gravely defamatory" and "untrue." The Guardian later reported that Trafigura agreed to pay money to 31,000 victims in West Africa.
The Guardian also claimed that other news outlets in the Netherlands and Norway were threatened. These included NRK in Norway and De Volkskrant in the Netherlands.
In October 2009, The Guardian reported a strange situation. They were prevented from reporting on something said in Parliament. They could not even say why they were prevented. This raised questions about free speech. The issue involved a question asked by MP Paul Farrelly. The question was about legal orders that stopped news from being published.
The next day, Carter-Ruck agreed to lift the order. This allowed The Guardian to report on the events. The firm stated that they never intended to stop news about Parliament. They also pointed out that The Guardian had agreed to the original order.
Cases Against Cyber Security Companies
In 2014, Carter-Ruck represented Craig Ames and Rob McGee. They sued the cyber security company Spamhaus. Ames and McGee were involved in a business that sent out many emails. Carter-Ruck's case was not successful. The clients eventually dropped their case and paid Spamhaus' legal costs.
The OneCoin Case
In September 2016, Carter-Ruck threatened legal action. This was against a journalist who exposed the cryptocurrency OneCoin. The journalist suggested OneCoin was a scam. In May 2017, police actions in several countries showed that Carter-Ruck's client did appear to be running a Ponzi scheme. A Ponzi scheme is a type of fraud where money from new investors is used to pay earlier investors.
Working with the Labour Party
In July 2019, it was revealed that Carter-Ruck had written to Sam Matthews. He was a former head of disputes for the Labour Party. The letter warned him he could face legal action. This was for breaking a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). An NDA is a contract that keeps information secret. Matthews had spoken out about how the party handled antisemitism allegations.
Other Law Firms in This Field
Other law firms that work in similar areas as Carter-Ruck include Olswang and Reynolds Porter Chamberlain.
