News & Events
News & Events
Victoria Brown, instructed by Roxanne Cullinan of DAC Beachcroft LLP, acted successfully for the appellant employer in the Employment Appeal Tribunal decision of DHL Services Limited v Ignatowicz [2026] EAT 74. The appeal concerned an employee who was summarily dismissed following a number of social media posts. Initially, the claimant posted the contents of a grievance on Facebook, accompanied by commentary describing the “capitalist dictatorship” as “evil” and calling for its destruction. The employer also took issue with further posts during the claimant’s employment, and comments during the litigation, including comparisons between the conduct of the employer’s managers and the Nazis. Following a finding of unfair dismissal, the Employment Tribunal reduced the compensatory award by 10% for contributory conduct. That…
News 29 May, 2026
Harry Lambert’s article analyses AI-Associated Delusions, the Attachment Economy, and the Limits of Liability. This article, a must read for Product Liability practitioners, reflects on ‘Product Liability In the Digital Age.’ In recent months, the darkest consequences of AI companionship have breached the mainstream consciousness. What began as warnings from unheeded academics or outlier psychologists has tragically materialized in high-profile US litigation, where bereaved parents are suing developers over chatbots that allegedly aided and encouraged teen suicides. These catastrophic edge cases have rightly dominated the headlines. But while trans-Atlantic litigation focuses on the extreme, a quieter, statistically monumental crisis is unfolding largely unchecked—one that threatens a much broader swath of society. As Dr. Zak Stein and a growing chorus of…
News 26 Mar, 2026
Harry Lambert was invited to speak at APIL’s Special Interest Group (SIG) Product Liability meeting on Thursday 17th July 2025 on ‘Product Liability in the Digital Age’. The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) is a not-for-profit campaign group which has been committed to helping injured people for more than 30 years. The Product Liability SIG meeting took place on Thursday 17th July 2025 from 4pm to 5:30pm. Harry Lambert discussed ‘Product Liability in the Digital Age’, alongside Sarah Moore of Leigh Day and Natalie Truman of Irwin Mitchell. This SIG Product Liability talk covered two parts: Part One – What’s different about digital technology, including the existing law and the future Part Two – Specific Applications: AI, Social Media,…
News 18 Jul, 2025
Following the release of Part 1 in April 2025, Harry Lambert is featured in The New Law Journal with Part 2 of his article; ‘Is social media a defective product?’ In the second part of this series, Harry Lambert tackles some key questions: is social media a ‘product’ at all, and how might claims be brought against its platforms? In Part 1, the article considered whether it was possible to sue social media companies at all, or whether they are protected by statutory or contractual immunity. In Part 2, Harry Lambert tackles some key questions including: is social media a ‘product’ at all, and how might claims be brought against its platforms? He explores the possible causes of action as a vehicle…
External Publications, News 3 Jul, 2025
Section 124 of the recently passed Data Use and Access Act, once enacted, will mark a key development in the legal framework governing coronial investigations into child deaths involving social media. Harry Lambert is acting for a number of bereaved parents. On Thursday 19th June 2025, the Data Use and Access Bill (now Act) 2025 or “DUAA” received Royal Assent and passed into law, although the commencement dates for each provision vary (see section 142) . The ICO has already followed suit with some useful guidance, published here. Of particular note is section 124 which (once it is in force) will represent a key development in the legal framework governing coronial investigations in cases of child death, specifically focusing on…
News 25 Jun, 2025
Harry Lambert’s article Is social media a defective product? is featured today on the front cover of the New Law Journal. In the first part of a new series focused on the legal obligation of social media companies, digital product liability expert Harry Lambert puts social media firms under the spotlight, asking: to what extent are they liable for harm? In a booming industry where regulation struggles to keep pace, social media companies have been frequently accused of not doing enough to protect users and/or take accountability. Harry Lambert’s series of articles evaluates the potential liability of social media companies for the harms caused by their algorithms and platform design. Part 1, available now, considers whether it is possible to sue…
External Publications, News 17 Apr, 2025
