Spear’s Review

Charlotte Harris made her name in the phone-hacking scandal, taking on News International and playing a key role in the Leveson Inquiry; in 2025, she was portrayed by actress Rose Leslie in the ITV drama The Hack.

Previously a partner at Mishcon de Reya, Harris joined Kingsley Napley in 2015 to launch its media and reputation management unit, and moved to Brown Rudnick in 2023. Co-chair of the firm’s brand and reputation management practice, her client book includes HNWs, MPs, celebrities (she worked on the high-profile Wagatha Christie case) and sports stars. 

‘The thing that really makes people nervous is whether or not they’re going to get a knock at the door and someone’s going to take a photograph of them,’ Harris tells Spear’s. ‘So it’s all about trying to help clients and protect them in those anxiety-ridden circumstances.’

Adviser Profile

Charlotte Harris is co-chair of Brown Rudnick’s brand and reputation management team and is widely regarded as one of the UK’s leading reputation and privacy lawyers. With more than 25 years’ experience, she advises high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, celebrities, members of parliament, professional athletes and multinational corporations on their most sensitive reputational matters.

Renowned for her discretion, strategic judgement and ability to resolve high-profile crises, Charlotte acts for clients facing intense media scrutiny in the UK and internationally. Her practice spans privacy, defamation, harassment and injunctions, often in fast-moving situations. She is regularly instructed to secure the removal of intrusive photographs, confidential documents and inaccurate reporting, working closely with news organisations to protect clients’ privacy and reputations.

Charlotte is ranked Band 1 for High Net Worth Reputation Management in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide and is consistently recognised by Legal 500, Spear’s and The Lawyer Hot 100. She has appeared before several parliamentary select committees, gave evidence to the Leveson Inquiry, and has represented claimants in phone-hacking litigation since 2007.

A respected commentator on reputation and privacy law, Charlotte is a regular speaker at King’s College London, the Cambridge Union, the Oxford PPE Society, UCL and the Society of Editors. She is frequently sought out for her insight into developments in privacy, defamation and reputation management.

Clients describe Charlotte as ‘the best of the best in reputation management’, ‘a force of nature’, ‘razor sharp’ and ‘truly exceptional’, reflecting her formidable advocacy, commercial judgement and unwavering commitment to achieving the best possible outcome for her clients.