FGS Global strengthens UK litigation practice with appointment of Laura Farris as Head of UK Litigation communications
[London] – [January 13, 2025] – FGS Global, the leading global strategic communications advisory firm, announces the appointment of Laura Farris as Head of UK Litigation communications based in London. Laura will advise clients on communications strategies that advance their business and legal goals and support reputation during litigation, investigations and regulatory actions within and beyond the UK.
Laura joins FGS Global from government, where she was previously Minister at the Home Office and Ministry of Justice. She is an accomplished former barrister who spent 12 years specialising in employment, commercial and public law at Littleton Chambers. Laura started her career as a journalist at BBC News and Reuters in London and Washington.
During her time in Government she worked on major legislation including the Online Safety Act 2023 governing the conduct of technology companies and introduced new laws on non-financial misconduct (including restricting the use of NDAs). As a barrister she acted in cases at every level up to the Supreme Court, on issues ranging from insider trading, bonus disputes and unlawful discrimination. She was frequently instructed to conduct high-profile internal investigations by investment banks. She was appointed to the Attorney-General’s Panel of Counsel and as Counsel to the Independent Inquiry on Child Sexual Abuse.
Faeth Birch, CEO of FGS for UK, Middle East and Asia said: "FGS Global is thrilled to welcome Laura Farris to our team. Laura's strong legal background as a practicing barrister, combined with her experience in government as a Justice Minister and understanding of the media as a former journalist, provide a unique combination of skills to lead FGS Global's fast-growing litigation practice in London, providing clients unparalleled insights and advice during legal events and bolstering FGS’s market-leading global litigation team.”
Laura Farris commented: “I am delighted to be joining the brilliant team at FGS Global to lead the UK litigation practice. Having been closely involved in the passage of significant legislation governing corporate conduct and the regulatory environment whilst in Government, I understand the risks that litigation and investigations pose to reputation and even our clients’ licence to operate. And, having acted in high-value and sensitive matters as a barrister, I understand that attacks on companies during these events are not contained to the courtroom or even by national borders – communications in these high-stakes matters require a stakeholder-wide, deliberate, strategic approach.
I’m joining at an exciting time for FGS in London, where we are fast expanding our litigation practice, working on both UK and cross-border disputes in partnership with our top-rated Litigation team (Chambers 2024 Band 1) in the United States and our colleagues in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.”
For more information about Laura Farris's role at FGS Global or to learn more about our litigation services, please contact Jenny Davey, Partner and Head of Crisis UK.
About FGS
FGS Global is a leading global communications and public affairs consultancy, with approximately 1,400 professionals around the world, advising clients in navigating complex stakeholder situations and reputational challenges. FGS was formed from the combination of Finsbury, The Glover Park Group, Hering Schuppener and Sard Verbinnen & Co to offer board-level and C-suite counsel in all aspects of strategic communications — including corporate reputation, crisis management, and public affairs and is also the leading force in financial communications worldwide.
FGS offers seamless and integrated support with offices in the following locations: Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Beijing, Berlin, Boston, Brussels, Calgary, Chicago, Dubai, Dublin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Houston, Kingston, London, Los Angeles, Munich, Paris, Riyadh, San Francisco, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, Toronto, Washington, D.C., South Florida, Vancouver and Zurich. The firm is headquartered in New York.
FGS is consistently ranked a Band 1 PR firm for Crisis & Risk Management and for Litigation Support by Chambers and Partners. For the second year, FGS was ranked #1 Global M&A PR firm by Deal Count and Value in 2023 by Mergermarket.