Experience
Olivia is an experienced commercial litigation lawyer with over 22 years' experience in commercial and regulatory disputes including breach of contract, misfeasance, professional negligence, banking litigation, intellectual property and media law disputes and complex commercial litigation actions. Olivia is experienced in mediations and achieving the most cost-effective means to resolve disputes. She is creative and strategic in her approach to disputes.
She is also one of Northern Ireland's most experienced and specialist media lawyers with expert knowledge in content clearance, pre-broadcast advice, defamation, contempt law, copyright disputes, trade secrets and breach of confidence, data protection disputes, data privacy, reporting restrictions, harassment, breach of confidentiality, emergency injunctions, content and product liability, e-commerce and social media law. She has represented several global technology companies, multinational brands, various global and international broadcasters, print and website publishers, various UK publishing houses, local broadcasters and newspaper outlets together with high profile journalists and high net worth clients.
Olivia has acted in the first Norwich Pharmacal Order arising out of internet liabilities, copyright infringements and breach of confidentiality issues in both Ireland and Northern Ireland. Represents various local business, various education institutions and corporations in regard to data breach investigations. In addition to disputes experience provides regulatory advice and compliance for a variety of broadcasters, newspapers and technology companies.
Olivia is mostly involved in litigation in the High Court in Belfast and Dublin, the NI Court of Appeal and the UKSC, ECHR and she has appeared as a solicitor advocate in Crown Courts, Magistrates Courts, civil High Courts regarding interim and emergency injunctions.
Qualified as a Solicitors Advocate in 2012. In 2021, she obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Law & Practice, Oxford University. In 2015 she was elected as Chairman of the Belfast Solicitors' Association and during that year hosted Northern Ireland's first media law conference in Stormont Parliament Buildings.
Memberships
- MLRC Society of Editors
- Law Society of Ireland
- Law Society of Northern Ireland
- RTS NI
- EU Commission Expert on Anti-SLAPPs
Testimonials
Olivia has been ranked Band 1 in both Defamation and Reputation Management as well as Band 1 in Media & Entertainments Law. Chambers & Partners describes her as:
- "a highly experienced practitioner instructed by leading newspapers, publishers and broadcasters to provide advice on a range of privacy and defamation disputes. She regularly challenges reporting restrictions on behalf of clients. "She is an expert in her field." "She is hard-working and determined for her clients “Olivia O'Kane is very up to speed on cutting-edge issues."
- "Olivia has a deep and wide-ranging understanding of media law, freedom of speech issues, and privacy and data protection matters. It is always a pleasure to work with her." "Olivia is extremely helpful, conscientious, accommodating and insightful." "She is an excellent lawyer - incredibly helpful and client-centred. She's passionate, committed and skilled. “She is very calm and measured and puts me at ease in a crisis."
- "Olivia has a deep and wide-ranging understanding of media law, freedom of speech issues, and privacy and data protection matters. It is always a pleasure to work with her." "Olivia is extremely helpful, conscientious, accommodating and insightful."
- "probably the most experienced media solicitor currently practising in Northern Ireland," says a source, explaining: "She has an impressive client list and her experience of almost every type of claim or argument faced by publishers is invaluable. "She provides pre- and post-publication advice to broadcasters and publishers.
- "She is always contactable, she's a listener and she explains things in terms we as a media company will understand."
- “experienced practitioner, with expertise in defamation, data protection, privacy law and reporting restrictions”. One client describes her as ‘prompt in her responses and practical in her advice’ while another describes her as ‘one of the most established practitioners in privacy and defamation’.
- ‘She really immersed herself in the project to make sure it would happen’, another ‘she is very empathetic and effective’.
- commended for “her prowess in the field of defamation and privacy law”. Sources describe her as a "terrific lawyer who provides terrific insightful advice," and is known to be "tactically very astute".
- “a dedicated media lawyer capable of tackling matters in all fields ranging from privacy and libel to social media and regulatory concerns”. Sources described her as a very helpful practitioner.
- described as a "fantastic" lawyer who continues to build an impressive reputation in the field, handling work for high-calibre media publishing clients. She "clearly knows her stuff" and is praised as being "very comprehensive, sharp, on the ball and reassuring".
- a solicitor advocate who is quickly gaining a strong reputation for her work both in and outside court. Clients note that she is "on the ball" and "well prepared for every case." She is "attentive, perceptive and quick to respond with practical advice".