Business Weekly - Cambridge, UK

The channel was launched in November, reaches 80 million homes and is the first English language news and current affairs channel headquartered in the Middle East.

The Qatari news network, famous for its ongoing battle of words with the US administration, has already been advised by the East of England firm on pre-transmission issues relating to reporting restrictions, content, intellectual property rights acquisition and clearance, defamation and privacy, according to steeles.

The media team from steeles will be headed by Rhory Robertson, whose clients include newspaper and magazine publications, independent production companies, talent agencies and broadcasters, journalists, actors and authors.

According to Don Christopher, who is head of business affairs and compliance for Al Jazeera: “His experience and judgment help us manage the legal risks of telling the stories that matter.”

Al Jazeera, which has news centres in Doha, Kuala Lumpur and Washington DC, said that it aims to “set the news agenda and act as a bridge between cultures.”

steeles is retained by the Musicians’ Union, the UK’s only trade union for musicians, and is also among panel lawyers for the Association of Independent Music, Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society, Performing Right Society, and the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.

The firm has achieved successful outcomes in libel proceedings on behalf of The Independent, Trinity Mirror Group, New Moon TV and a number of high-profile individuals.

Based in Whiting Road on the Norwich Business Park, steeles has a turnover of £10m and 190 staff.