Yair Cohen
Contact: +44 (0) 207 183 4123. The UK's first internet lawyer, specialising in internet and social media law.
For nearly 25 years, Yair has been championing the rights of women who suffer online abuse by taking on some of the most challenging harassment and online trolling cases and bringing notorious online trolls to justice
The first successful civil claim relating to catfishing. Yair Cohen acted for Kirat Assi who was catfished for nearly a decade by another woman who created and impersonated more than 50 different characters. Yair won his client damages and a well deserved apology
The longest harassment case in UK history, which Yair took on after Mrs Goldrick Dean was harassed online for 13 years by a man she met through a dating website. Yair won his client an damages, vindication and a far overdue apology
The first Facebook injunction in UK history, which Yair took on after Ms Brookes was ruthlessly harassed on Facebook by a group of internet trolls (including an on duty police officer), who intensified their their harassment campaign until their identity was finally unravelled following a ground breaking court order for Facebook disclosure of users’ private information
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2158408/Nicola-Brookes-The-mother-took-trolls.html
The first case in UK history that established that a transgender who was working as an escort to the rich and famous, had a right to keep her transition private in online advertising and on adult reviews websites and discussion forums. Yair took on this case after no other lawyer was willing to. This case remains one of Yair’s favourites
https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/QB/2018/121.html
The first case in the UK where an injunction against harassment was served on an internet troll via Instagram. The victim in the case was a known figure who had been sent death threats and vile, racist messages.
https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/lawyer-in-the-news/online-harassment-injunction-first/5050373.article
The first case in UK history to disrupt a prolific pornographer who exploited vulnerable homeless men. Yair Cohen took on the case after his client attempted to self-harm, following the posting of pornographic videos of him, which had been taken whilst he was homeless and desperate. As a result of this case a school headteacher, Mario Rogers, was forced to pay compensation and eventually to shut down his entire website network
The first case in the UK where the right to a privacy injunction was granted to a Hollywood director after he had been blackmailed by a former personal companion
https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/QB/2020/1558.html
The first case in the UK where the court granted a former female manager at a United Nation’s department in London, an injunction against harassment to stop a former employee who previously had been dismissed by her, to continue harassing her online. She had her own images and personal information published by the defendant who attempted to name and shame her for life
https://www.internetlawcentre.co.uk/online-harassment-injunction-legal-advice
The first case in UK history where evidence from GoDaddy disclosure order, which was obtained by an independent lawyer, was used to convict an online harasser. It was also the first case in UK history where an online troll was taken to a criminal court for harassment and following his conviction, in the Crown Court he was also sued in a civil court for harassment and defamation. Yair obtained for his client damages and an apology after the defendant was also given prison time
Yair has been involved with the internet since 1997 – first as a web and e-commerce developer and later as a full-time internet law specialist. He is the author of the book ‘The Net Is Closing: birth of the e-police’, which slightly ahead of its time, examined the then current state and the predicted future of the internet in terms of users’ safety and policing.
Yair Cohen is a regular contributor on TV, radio and newspaper and a speaker at national and international internet law conferences, including the Internet Law Leadership Summit, a prestigious discussion group of elite internet law attorneys who meet regularly to exchange views and ideas about the hottest topics, cases and legal developments in internet law around the world.
The annual gathering of the most prominent internet law lawyers and attorneys from across the world
From 09:00 until 17:00
At Aria Hotel, Las Vegas
The annual ICO conference with Information Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham CBE
From 08:30 until 17:00
At Manchester Central Convention Complex