Paul Tweed: ‘Prince Andrew was good company, if a little naïve'

Telegraph

24-11-2024

Paul Tweed, 69, the founder of WP Tweed & Co, is an international media law and reputation management expert.
Having been described as 'the most powerful man in Hollywood', he has represented governments, corporations, royals and A-list celebrities such as Justin Timberlake, Johnny Depp, Harrison Ford and Jennifer Lopez.
He lives in Northern Ireland with his wife Selena, and has four children.
Did you have a good financial start in life?
Although my father had the seemingly grand title of 'bank manager' for the TSB, his salary was modest. On payday, my mother's allowance was almost entirely spent on household expenses; she spent the rest of the month trying to make ends meet.
I remember being sent to the local corner shop in my home town of Bangor in County Down, Northern Ireland, to buy her a single cigarette because she couldn't afford an entire packet.
What was your first law job?
I joined the Belfast firm, Johnsons Solicitors, in 1978 which specialised in conveyancing, probate and company law. I started on £2,500 and tried to forget about my large student overdraft.
I found the job exceptionally boring – then some of my friends told me about their well-paid insurance work.
Over nine years, I brought in 13 insurance companies, mainly by entertaining client managers out of my own pocket. My overdraft soared to nearly £20,000.
Looking back, I was mad. I was also handling criminal injury claims for soldiers injured during the Troubles.
Which case had the biggest impact on you?
In 1992, I represented the boxing promoter
It evolved into a sensational libel action and the costs were eye watering. Eastwood was awarded £450,000 in damages, the largest libel award in Northern Irish legal history. I still regard the case as my biggest challenge and success.
Was it a risky financial decision switching to media law and reputational management?
The adrenaline rush from my early libel action cases gave me the incentive to change direction, but it was a slow process.
It's very difficult to make defamation work pay for itself, particularly in Northern Ireland, because fee scales are much lower than in London. I could only do it because I had the insurance practice in the background.
I now work out of London, Dublin and Belfast, but I've had figures of up to £3m put to me by defence lawyers, saying 'these will be our costs if your client loses'. In Northern Ireland, the equivalent would be less than a tenth of that figure.
Who was your first celebrity client?
Liam Neeson in 1998. But it was only after I successfully forced the National Enquirer to publish their 2006 apology for falsely suggesting that the marriage of Britney Spears and her then-husband Kevin Federline was on the rocks that my status as 'defamation lawyer to the stars' was cemented.
With most A-listers, it's not money that drives them. They just want the record set straight immediately. I regard it as an abject failure if I have to put a client in a witness box and 99pc of my cases are settled out of court.
Financially, this is by the far the most sensible solution. Also, if a client's first question is, 'How much is this case worth?' red lights go off. You do not litigate for money. You litigate to get your reputation vindicated.
How did you end up representing Sarah Ferguson?
In 2016, a mutual friend asked if I would be prepared to advise her.
Six years earlier, she had been entangled in a News of the World sting operation involving an undercover reporter known as the
With my help, she successfully took on the mighty News Corporation.
I have a lot of sympathy for Sarah. Unlike Princess Diana, she didn't get a generous divorce settlement.
She doesn't have the financial muscle to take on a lot of the people who attack her, so we have to be highly selective when it comes to taking action.
Did Prince Andrew hire you when Virginia Giuffre filed a civil sexual assault lawsuit against him in 2021?
No, I've acted for Sarah and other members of the family, but not for
We were photographed together in 2019 at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland because he asked if I would like to meet him for a cup of tea.
I realised it would be no bad thing for him to be photographed with me. He was facing daily accusations in the press, and the pictures would send out a message that he was minded to come out fighting.
I had strongly advised his press secretary, Amanda Thirsk, against proceeding with the
However, he did take my advice when I suggested he brought in two US attorneys well versed in dealing with criminal and civil New York litigation protocols. It was quite obvious to me that the battle was going to be in the US. But they came in far too late and Ms Giuffre's US attorneys were given the opportunity to get in the driving seat.
Why did you sell your law firm?
It was in February 2020 – just before the Covid pandemic. Obviously, we didn't realise what was coming down the line, but it was extraordinarily good timing. I did the deal on the Friday and on the Monday the stock market fell like a blade.
I sold the business to the legal services group Gateley for £2m, and stayed on as a partner for two years. We sold because my wife (who is also a lawyer) and I were struggling with the administration.
We did well, although I'm not good at spending money. Give or take a few bad investments during the 2008 recession when I lost a six-figure sum, I've managed to keep most of my earnings.
What has been your best investment?
In 2008 we bought a
It sat on the market for a year and not one person came to view it. Then, out of the blue, a buyer offered us £2m in 2012. It was sheer luck.
Any plans to retire?
Retirement is not an option. Generative AI is going to be my next battlefield and I'll be focusing my sights on both sides of the Atlantic.
From Holywood to Hollywood by Paul Tweed is out now (Merrion Press, £16.99).