Human rights solicitors Leigh Day & Co and partner Richard Meeran have accepted “substantial” damages and an apology after an article in The Lawyer magazine implied a finding of sex discrimination against the firm.
The solicitors sued Centaur Communications, The Lawyer’s publisher, over an article in December headlined “Leigh Day faces £150,000 personal injury claim from former employee”.
The High Court heard the article reported that a former employee, from a team led by Meeran, was suing the firm after being forced to give up work through ill-health. It also implied that in a separate case brought by another ex-employee, an employment tribunal had made a finding of sex discrimination against the firm.
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The claimants’ solicitor, Mark Thomson, said: “The implication was untrue and should never have been made. In fact, the employment tribunal dismissed the sex discrimination claims brought by the ex-employee.”
He said: “The implication that the claimants had discriminated against employees on grounds of sex has caused them, and in particular Mr Meeran, considerable professional and personal embarrassment.”
By Roger Pearson
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