Dan Tench

Landmark cases 

• News International in respect of a variety of matters concerning allegations of voicemail interception including preparing for and accompanying Rupert and James Murdoch before the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee in July 2011 and acting for News Group Newspapers on numerous claims for voicemail interception brought against the News of the World.
• Sports Information Services defending a claim brought by The Racing Partnership regarding the rights in sports data emanating from racecourses.  This is the leading case in sports rights and an important case as regards the tort of unlawful means conspiracy and confidentiality.
• The Claimants in the leading data protection case of Vidal-Hall & Ors v Google.
• Ingenious Media at first instance, in the Court of Appeal and in the Supreme Court in its successful judicial review of HMRC in relation to the decision of its Permanent Secretary to make disparaging disclosures regarding the Chief Executive of Ingenious Media to journalists, an important case on the law of confidentiality in the public sector and the extent of the legitimate exercise of powers by HMRC.

Public law

• The Claimants in the judicial review of the UK Government’s proposals to apply betting and gaming duty to offshore gambling operators. The case resulted in a reference to the European Court of the European Union on issues which will determine the validity of the taxation legislation.
• The BPI as an Interest Party successfully defending a challenge by way of judicial review brought on behalf of US artists in respect of change to copyright law as regards the provision of equitable remuneration, a leading case on the application of international law in domestic courts.
• The Post Office in respect of its programme for selecting and closing sub post offices as part of its Network Change Programme, providing public law advice in respect of the Programme and defending on behalf of the Post Office six separate challenges by way of judicial review, all of which were defeated.

Sports / betting law

• Tottenham Hotspur Football Club on its successful judicial review brought in relation to the terms on which the Olympic Stadium was provided to West Ham United.
• The British Horseracing Authority on a judicial review of the Horseracing Betting Levy Board regarding the liability of betting exchanges to pay horseracing betting levy.
• Wimbledon Football Club on its successful review of the refusal of the Football League to grant permission to relocate to Milton Keynes, one of the most significant sports law administrative challenges.
• GVC Services (Bulgaria) in its referral to the Court of Justice of the European Union (from a Bulgarian Court) in relation to the interpretation of withholding tax under Council Directive 2011/96/EU of 30 November 2011 on the common system of taxation applicable in the case of parent companies and subsidiaries of different Member States (personally undertaking the advocacy before the CJEU).

Media / data / information / software

• Ashley Hurst in relation to regulatory proceedings brought against him by the Solicitors Regulation Authority including a successful appeal to the High Court to overturn the decision of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal over wholly incorrect allegations of improperly sending a without prejudice communication in a defamation matter.
• English PEN, Article 19 and Index on Censorship as interested parties in the Supreme Court resisting an injunction imposed to prevent the publication of an autobiographical book.
• Numerous clients on making and dealing with requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and successfully appealed a refusal to provide information under such a request before the Information Tribunal (now the First-Tier Tribunal).
• Offshore law firm Appleby Global in relation to the cyberattack and disclosure of client information that became known as the 'Paradise Papers'.