Dominic Crossley

Spear’s Review

Dominic Crossley is the head of Payne Hicks Beach’s dispute resolution department.

He has been involved in the law concerning privacy and reputation for over 20 years and has seen the space evolve as new digital threats emerge. ‘The days of going completely under the radar are completely over,’ he tells Spear’s. ‘You have to ensure that there is something in the public domain that describes who you are and what you do. But if you’re prominent or high-profile, it’s easier to be targeted by an obsessive keyboard warrior or someone with an axe to grind.’

Crossley’s team notably acted for Princess Haya in establishing that the controversial Pegasus spyware was used to hack her phone. His growing team has been involved in many of the leading privacy law cases. No wonder one client calls them ‘terrific litigators and tacticians’.

Adviser Profile

Dominic is Head of the firm’s Dispute Resolution Department and Privacy & Media Law Team. 

He is a highly experienced litigator who is well known for his specialism in the law of privacy, breach of confidence, defamation and harassment, but the nature of his clients and instructions has led to him being instructed in cases covering a multitude of issues. 

Clients contact Dominic to resolve complex business and personal disputes, and when they are subject to: unwanted national and international media intrusion, whereby Dominic acts to protect against and investigate malicious reputational attacks and deal with social media misuse; suspected unlawful breach of privacy and loss of confidential information, including by way of phone-hacking or cyber-crime; and stalking, harassment or being threatened. 

For over two decades he has acted in leading cases for well-known actors, pre-eminent businesspeople and companies, politicians, sportspersons and musicians. He is often instructed at times of crisis, and in relation to sensitive, complex issues for corporate entities and institutions as well as individuals. 

Inevitably, the majority of Dominic’s work is highly confidential; however, instructions in the public domain include: acting for Princess Haya in her proceedings against Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum (in the High Court and Court of Appeal); representing Steve Coogan; acting in Max Mosley’s case against the News of the World; and the Leveson Inquiry, in which Dominic acted for all of the 53 ‘Core Participant Victims’. He has acted in groundbreaking privacy claims in all appellate courts including the European Court of Human Rights. 

Dominic has received a whole host of industry accolades throughout his career. He is the author of numerous articles written for the legal press and the media, and served for five years on the firm’s Management Board.