News International's Mulcaire legal bill hit £250,000
Legal fees paid by News International to lawyers acting for private investigator Glenn Mulcaire added up to almost £250,000.
Sarah Webb
New evidence provided to the House of Commons Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee by James Murdoch, CEO of News International’s parent company News Corporation, reveals that the company paid “approximately £246,000” to lawyers acting for Mulcaire, who was jailed for hacking phones on behalf of News of the World.
Much of those fees will have been billed by Mulcaire’s solicitor Sarah Webb, who was a partner at Russell Jones & Walker before moving to Payne Hicks Beach in February 2011. Mulcaire was represented in court by Alexandra Marzec of 5RB.
News International paid Mulcaire’s legal fees until 20 July 2011, following an oral evidence hearing before the select committee the previous day.
Meanwhile, a letter from Linklaters partner John Turnbull, on behalf of News Corporation’s management and standards committee, reveals the company settled Employment Tribunal proceedings with Mulcaire in June 2007 for £80,000 plus legal fees of £5,000.
The management and standards committee, which is chaired by Lord Grabiner QC (18 July 2011) is investigating the phone-hacking allegations for News International.
