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Prior to joining the Bar, Sean was the judicial assistant to Lord Justices Warby and Underhill at the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, where he worked on high-profile appeals across civil and public law, researching points of law and summarising appeals before the court. 

More recently, as a legal consultant, he advised the FSU, a free speech charity. Previously, he worked in healthcare and media regulation with the NMC and IPSO respectively, as well as for the human rights charity JUSTICE. 

Sean also has a rich academic background, having held research posts at the Universities of Oxford and Auckland, as well as having taught environmental law at King’s College London.

Sean is currently accepting instructions in media law and across other areas of practice.

Media Law

As the judicial assistant to Lord Justice Warby, Sean worked on several key media law cases such as Banks v Cadwalladr, Dyson v Channel 4 News, R (Marandi) v Westminster Magistrates, and Amersi v Leslie. 

As a legal consultant to the FSU, Sean advised on cases which raised free speech issues across public, employment and privacy law. He also has experience of press regulation having worked as IPSO’s complaints and arbitration officer from 2019-21. 

At Doughty Street, Sean’s recent cases include:

  • Successfully applying to stay a harassment claim at Southend County Court, appearing for the defendant
  • Assisting Beth Grossman in an amendment application which raised complex privacy law issues in Robson-Hill v ULT
  • Assisting David Lemer in successfully resisting an appeal against a finding of serious harm in the libel case in Naseer v Raja
  • Assisting Oliver Lewis in making written representations concerning open justice during an inquest
  • Assisting Jonathan Price KC in researching the liability of website hosts and operators for defamation. 
  • Appearing for the claimant in a trial of an action in data protection and privacy at Norwich County Court.  
  • Applying to strike out a claim in defamation and negligence.
  • Defending a claim in data protection against a law firm. 
Public Law

As a judicial assistant to Lord Justice Underhill at the Court of Appeal, Sean worked on several key public law cases, including AAA v SSHD (the challenge to the former government’s Rwanda Policy), Star China v OFCOM, and C3 and C4 v SSFCDA.

During pupillage, Sean has also assisted Adam Wagner KC on a case concerning the duties of OFCOM in regulating telecommunications networks. 

Actions Against the Police and Public Authorities

At Doughty Street, Sean has assisted Sam Jacobs on several cases concerning actions against the police for false imprisonment and assault.

General Civil Law

During pupillage Sean assisted Beth Grossman in the case of Winehouse v Parry, a claim in conversion and breach of fiduciary duty arising out of the sale of Amy Winehouse's personal possessions. Sean also assisted David Lemer on a key appeal concerning the law of limitation in Siniakovich v Hassan-Soudey.