Top Blackmail and Extortion Lawyers
Blackmail can be an incredibly frightening and isolating experience. But you don’t have to face it alone. Should you find yourself the victim of blackmail or extortion, you should seek legal advice at the earliest possible opportunity.
Blackmail is a serious crime - we are here to make sure you have the best possible legal arsenal to fight back. Vardags’ elite team of Reputation and Privacy lawyers are experienced in advising our clients on all the legal and reputational matters involved with a blackmail case. The team is headed by Alex McCready, who has been described as ‘the definitive reputation and privacy lawyer’ - Alex has an extensive record of acting on behalf of incredibly high-profile and affluent persons, securing the best outcomes for them and their families.
We understand the distressing nature of being a victim of blackmail; that’s why we’re committed to handling your case with utmost discretion. Our aim is to resolve the situation swiftly and quietly, protecting your reputation and giving you peace of mind. Contact Vardags today for a free initial consultation on your matter.
Securing the Best Outcomes for our Clients
Blackmail, as defined by the Theft Act 1968, involves making unwarranted demands with threats, intending to gain for oneself or cause loss to another. The offence is serious and can lead to a maximum penalty of 14 years’ imprisonment. The crime involves several elements:
A demand: This can be explicit or implicit, communicated through words or actions. The victim doesn’t need to receive the demand for it to qualify; it just needs to be communicated.
Made with menaces: The term ’menaces’ refers to a significant threat that would intimidate or influence a person to comply with the demands.
Unwarranted menaces: The demands are considered ’unwarranted’ unless the offender can prove they had reasonable grounds for making the demands, and the threats were a proper means to enforce them.
View to gain or intent to cause loss: The gain or loss pertains to money or property. The gain or loss can be temporary, and the threat doesn’t have to be true.
Often confused with blackmail is extortion. Extortion involves using threats of violence, physical harm, or property destruction to force a person to comply with certain demands. In contrast, blackmail can involve threats that are legal or even morally justifiable, such as exposing the victim’s illegal activities. The threats used in extortion to support an unfair demand are themselves criminal offences, like causing personal harm or damaging property. A specific form of blackmail is sextortion, where victims are recorded performing sexual activities and then threatened with the exposure of these images or videos if certain demands are not met. This crime has seen a significant rise with the growth of social media and online dating platforms.
With our team on your side, you can feel confident that you have the best defence against blackmail. We’re here to support you, protect your rights, and help you regain control over your life. Contact Vardags today for a free consultation.
WHY VARDAGS?
At Vardags, we are sympathetic to the unique challenges facing our clients when it comes to protecting their reputation and privacy. Our founder and president, Ayesha Vardag, understands this all too well.
Ayesha’s wide recognition as being “Britain’s Top Divorce Lawyer” has led her to become a prominent public figure with all the trials this entails. Being regularly featured in the national press, Ayesha has become well versed in dealing with invasive media and protecting her own reputation from defamatory attacks.
Vardags’ elite reputation and media team have a wealth of experience in protecting our high-profile, high-net-worth clients on a wide range of matters. It is never too early nor too late to get some advice on your case. Arrange a free consultation today.
MEET OUR TEAM
Alex McCready
Gregory Monk
Alanah Tannous
Nataly Tedone
Frank Ryan
WE ARE READY TO HELP
We offer a free initial consultation to potential clients earning £300,000 per annum, or with at least £2 million in assets
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
REPUTATION & PRIVACY GUIDES
The Vardags reputation and privacy guide explains all the key concepts you might need to know in relation to personal and business reputation.
Using our expertise at the cutting-edge of litigation, we have built this guide to help answer any questions you might have about extortion, blackmail, slander, libel, harassment and privacy breaches.
OFFICES
Alex McCready is a Partner at Vardags. As Head of Reputation & Privacy, she is widely respected for her leading expertise in this area. Regarded as “the definitive reputation and privacy lawyer” (Spears 500) and a “total star” (Legal 500), Alex advises prominent high net worth individuals, families, and corporate clients both in the UK and internationally.
Alex regularly acts for individuals and companies in times of crisis and is committed to helping clients manage complex problems sensitively and discreetly.
Gregory is a senior associate and solicitor advocate advising a wide range of clients on all aspects of litigation, private client, reputation and privacy. He has experience in the English High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, as well as with overseas litigation and enforcement, often dealing with lawyers and advisers in different jurisdictions.
Alanah is a senior associate in our reputation and privacy department. She has extensive expertise advising on a range of reputational risk matters, including defamation, IP and sports related cases. Alanah advises a wide range of high profile and high net worth clients, including senior executives, sport stars, politicians, cosmetic doctors and surgeons.
*Foreign Qualified, Admitted in New South Wales, Australia only (practising under direct supervision of an authorised member of the Solicitors profession in England and Wales)
Nataly is an Associate at Vardags, specialising in global reputation, privacy and crisis management matters. Her practice covers all aspects of media law, including defamation, privacy law, data protection, copyright, breach of confidence and harassment. In 2024, she was recognised by the Legal 500 as a ‘Key Lawyer’.
Frank is a civil litigation consultant for Vardags. He is a highly regarded litigation lawyer with four decades of extensive experience and expertise, including all forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR).
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