Veronica

Byrne

Scott

|Special Counsel

Veronica defends claims against media clients (television, print and online) for defamation, contempt of court, breach of non-publication orders, invasion of privacy and breach of confidence, misleading and deceptive conduct. She also represents high profile individuals to defend their reputations.

Veronica advises on using social media, Internet liability and press, reviews and provides advice on book publishing agreements and sponsorship agreements, provides pre-publication advice to media clients, publishers and authors on articles and books (online and print) and advises clients on advertising complaints and copy.

Veronica regularly appears in court to seek access to documents and make submissions in relation to non-publication orders on behalf of the media.

Veronica advises media clients on access to government agency documents and provides general FOI advice to government departments and public sector clients including document and risk management.

Veronica advises clients on gaming regulation, wagering licenses and drafts and negotiates licensing and pooling agreements. She has acted for and advised Tote Tasmania extensively in relation to regulatory and compliance issues, licensing, broadcasting arrangements and its international and online business and race fees and advertising. She has also advised Digicel and Mansion in relation to licensing matters and disputes in the Pacific region.

Veronica's practice and expertise covers copyright disputes, confidentiality and trade secrets including obtaining and defending injunctions including breach of confidence proceedings brought against The Age newspaper by the AFL and obtaining an injunction on behalf of an AFL football club in relation to footballer's identities and information.

Veronica advises on website terms of use and risk management including moderation policies, terms and conditions, content compliance, privacy policy and provisions eg use of cookies, handling personal data, agreements for outsourcing data. She also advises private and public sector clients on regulatory compliance in relation to outsourcing, and licensing.

Veronica has a unique range of local and international experience advising both private and public sector clients, on media, content and communications legal disputes and regulation and compliance. She has acted for a wide range of companies (commercial television and radio broadcasters, newspapers, book publishers and online publishers) including Fairfax Media, Fairfax Digital and The Age Company Ltd, Daily Mail Group, Channel 4, The Financial Times, Bloomberg, the Nine Network, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (the ABC). Veronica has also acted for a number of high profile individuals - obtaining the first anti-stalking injunction granted in the UK on behalf of Diana, Princes of Wales and defending Professor Deborah Lipstadt in defamation proceedings brought by David Irving over her Penguin published book on Holocaust denial.

Her experience covers advice on freedom of information laws and privacy issues, media access to court and sport proceedings and documents, representing clients in major defamation and breach of confidentiality court actions and in applications to oppose non-publication orders in court proceedings. She represented The Age newspaper in the Australian High Court proceedings over its successful application to reveal details of police sting operations. Veronica has worked on a number of submissions to Government such as access to court documents, and suppression order laws. She has helped foreign telecommunications companies with licensing issues and sponsorship arrangements associated with promoting their products and services locally and rolling out their services in other jurisdictions.

Veronica, advises extensively on privacy and data protection law and compliance (including privacy policies, direct marketing, competitions, due diligence, outsourcing, credit reporting, and transborder transfers of personal information). She has assisted government and corporate clients on with privacy clauses for contracts and has advised on major projects which involve the acquisition of large amounts of personal data. She regularly advises our health industry clients on compliance with health records legislation, patient consents and conducting clinical trials,) and also advises on related areas of compliance (including the Spam Act and Do Not Call Register Act).

Veronica advises clients on broadcasting, publishing and Internet regulatory issues including classification, licensing and submissions and applications to the Australian Media and Communications Authority (ACMA), complaints to the Australian Press and submission to the National Classification Board.