Spear’s Review

Niri Shan is highly revered by clients and contemporaries alike, with one client describing him as ‘commercially brilliant and one of the most capable lawyers you’ll ever meet’. In 2025, he was announced as Taylor Wessing’s head of intellectual property in the UK, Ireland and the Middle East.

He continues to advise clients – including a number of high-profile HNW individuals – on all aspects of personal and professional privacy and reputation. He is known as an efficient problem-solver and tells Spear’s of an instance when he resolved a particularly salacious allegation involving high-profile individuals ‘through one letter and a series of phone calls’. 

He is also a leading adviser of media companies and has good long-standing relationships with lawyers working for them, which often helps to negotiate positive results for clients. 

Read next: The perils of disinformation: Reputation experts on the biggest threat to the rich and famous

Adviser Profile

Niri Shan heads Taylor Wessing’s intellectual property team. Over 30 years, he has advised celebrities, entrepreneurs and high-profile families on managing their public and private life challenges, focusing on proactive measures rather than litigation. His expertise includes media scrutiny, family issues, commercial threats, harassment, blackmail and social media matters.

By acting for both claimants and defendants in the media industry, this gives Niri a unique position in the marketplace. Niri provides unique market insights and prioritises preventing intrusive or false stories while de-escalating conflicts to maintain his clients’ privacy and reputation.