We are pleased to announce that Jess Welch, Associate at Simkins, is our second Next Generation Media Lawyer of the Month for 2025! Congratulations Jess.

Jess’s practice focuses on media disputes and reputation protection. Her experience encompasses intellectual property and contractual disputes and working with high profile individuals and corporates on defamation, misuse of private information and data protection claims. Jess has been ranked as a ‘Rising Star’ in the Legal 500 since 2019 and she was added to the Spears Reputation Management Index in 2020.

Across both areas of her practice, Jess has worked on cases in the Copyright Tribunal, the High Court and the Supreme Court.  She was a key member of the team representing Sir Cliff Richard in his 2018 landmark privacy action against the BBC and South Yorkshire Police and she regularly advises clients on pre- and post-publication issues. 

Before joining Simkins, Jess worked at sports PR firm Pitch working with clients such as the National Basketball Association, Channel 4 and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games.

Find out more about Jess’s journey into media law below:

What made you decide to become a lawyer? And why did you decide to specialise in media law?

I have always enjoyed reading, studying and problem solving. So, going into a profession where those skills are used on a daily basis made sense. My dad was a journalist, so I have always been interested in, and surrounded by, the media, and it felt like the only specialism that I was ever going to head towards. During my training contract I was immediately involved in a working for a client who was going through a high profile and very sensitive crisis. It was intense, exciting and challenging, and I learnt a huge amount very quickly. It made me realise that’s the world I wanted to be in.

Since starting your legal career the press landscape / how journalists operate has changed dramatically. What trends have you noticed?

We’re going through one of the biggest technological changes in recent times. The (rapid) development of AI means that the way we are fed, and consume, news is changing, and it is becoming more susceptible to manipulation. More than ever, there are stories generated which contain misinformation and this creates issues for clients who are the subject of those stories and who are trying to protect their reputations. It is more important than ever for clients to be vigilant about this as it’s likely to become even more of an issue as AI systems become more sophisticated and it becomes less clear what’s true and what isn’t. This is a concern for those who consume news but also for our clients – for those who feature in it. 

You worked on the landmark Cliff Richard case – tell us about working on such an important case.

I was very lucky to work on such an important privacy case at the beginning of my career. It was a steep learning curve, working long hours in a high-pressured environment but it taught me a lot and it was a fantastic experience. It showed me how interesting and important this area of law can be. 

Tell us about a time where you had to stay motivated and inspired when faced with challenges or setbacks.

One of the biggest challenges that many of us would have faced is the rigorous process of applying for training contracts. If, like me, you knew what type of law you wanted to do, there were a limited number of firms where I could go. Naturally I didn’t get offered a contract at each firm I applied to, so it took determination and perseverance to carry on and hope that the right job at the right firm would come. Luckily for me it did but that won’t be the case for everyone so it’s important to stay motivated and take everything you learn from every ‘no’ to help move you forwards and keep you focused.

In an alternative universe where lawyers didn’t exist and every job was paid exactly the same – what would be your job and why?

Despite my total lack of creativity, I have delusions that I could be an interior designer. Although there is much evidence to the contrary, I believe I would be very good at renovating an old building and running it as a BnB. This is despite the fact that I have never renovated a house, and I have never properly worked in hospitality (except for working in pubs and restaurants in my teens). But in this alternative universe, perhaps my creativity would flourish so I would love to buy a rundown building in the countryside, do it up and wait for the hoards to come.