The UK’s first Internet Lawyer.
Fighting online harassment and abuse since 1997.
Who is Yair Cohen?
Yair Cohen is a UK based expert international internet law and social media lawyer with the London law firm Cohen Davis
Yair Cohen is a reputation lawyer who has spent more than 25 years leading the way in internet law in the UK. He specialises in free speech, deflecting false allegations and protecting his clients’ reputations. His expertise covers defamation, harassment and criminal defence law, where he has built a strong record of defending clients and safeguarding their rights.
KEY REPORTED CASES BY LAWYER YAIR COHEN
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The case of Stephen Belafonte v News Group Newspapers
28th September 2026
A libel claim against The Sun over an article about Mel B. The High Court ruled that it accused him of harassment, not merely of being under investigation.
The case of PHJ v UJV
28th September 2026
A married businessman blackmailed by someone inside his own circle. A without notice High Court injunction, both parties anonymised, served two hours before her deadline.
The case of RXE v Daniel Ryan and others
28th September 2026
A British businessman who paid a sextortion gang more than $100,000. The injunction was prepared in advance and granted the day the next demand came.
The Sasha Davies Catfishing Case: A Promise Made Live on ITV, Kept in the High Court
14th July 2026
A promise made live on ITV’s This Morning to find the catfish, kept in the High Court with an apology and damages.
Saving your OBE award from forfeiture – the case of Charlie Mullins OBE
1st April 2025
Acting for the Pimlico Plumbers founder when the Honours Forfeiture Committee moved to strip him of his OBE over social media posts, with no appeal and no reasons.
The case of Frankie Rzucek v Alan Vinnicombe
27th February 2025
The first UK case in which a conspiracy theorist was made to shut down his YouTube channel for harassing a grieving family.
Victim of catfishing was “driven crazy” by catfish
18th November 2024
Video: how the Sweet Bobby catfish kept her victim believing, for nearly ten years, that she was in a relationship with a real person.
Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare – The Lawyer’s Perspective on a Decade of Deception
30th September 2024
The solicitor’s account of the Sweet Bobby case: a decade of deception by more than fifty invented characters, and the fight for justice that followed.
Mel B and Stephen Belafonte Court Case
10th September 2024
Mel B applied without notice for a restraining order against her former husband. The application was withdrawn and she was ordered to pay his costs.
Behind the scenes of the Sweet Bobby legal case
4th September 2024
Video: the lawyers behind the Sweet Bobby documentary on what the catfishing case looked like from the legal side.
The Hampstead Paedophile Hoax case
19th August 2024
A mother falsely accused online of belonging to a satanic cult. The harassment campaign was stopped and its leader prosecuted.
The case of TJM v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police
6th August 2024
A Royal Marine officer whose former partner’s unproven allegations were passed by the police to his employer. A defamation and privacy claim against the force.
The case of David Paisley and Graham Linehan
6th August 2024
A defamation claim over Graham Linehan’s Substack articles and the readers’ comments beneath them. The court ruled that a blogger can be liable for both.
The case of Jack Aaronson AKA Dominic Ford V Marcus Stones Aka Mickey Taylor
14th October 2023
A libel claim over a false sexual assault accusation made on Twitter and YouTube. The judge awarded damages and rejected the public interest defence.
The case of Brian Dudley v Michael Phillips
1st August 2022
A financial adviser defamed and harassed for six years by a former colleague. The first English case to award damages for defamation and data protection breach together.
The case of XLD v KZL
28th May 2022
A US public figure blackmailed by a companion he met on Seeking Arrangement. A High Court injunction stopped her disclosing the relationship or his name.
The cases of R V Paul Britton and Phipps v Paul Britton and Origin Design
28th May 2022
A web developer who built dozens of fake websites about a client over a £200 dispute. Convicted in the criminal court, then sued in the High Court.
The case of Rada-Ortiz v Espinosa-Vadillo
28th May 2022
The first harassment injunction in England against a former employee, who had posted private images and attacks on his former boss at the United Nations.
The case of Dominated Men and Mario Rogers
28th May 2022
A porn producer, also a primary school head teacher, who exploited homeless men on film. Legal action forced the website to close.
The case of DDF V YYZ
28th May 2022
A celebrity harassed by an anonymous Instagram account. The first harassment injunction in the UK served through Instagram itself.
The Case of GYH V Persons Unknown
23rd May 2022
A transgender escort defamed and outed on adult review websites. A High Court privacy injunction, GYH v Persons Unknown [2018] EWHC 212 (QB).
The case of Nicola Brookes V Persons Unknown
23rd May 2022
The first disclosure order against Facebook, compelling it to hand over the identities of the anonymous trolls who abused one woman.
The case of Lindsey Goldrick Dean V Paul Curran
22nd May 2022
The longest known harassment case in the UK: thirteen years of letters and websites, ended when the harasser was traced and taken to court.
The Case of Kirat Assi v Simran Kaur Bhogal – Sweet Bobby
22nd May 2022
The first successful civil claim for catfishing in the UK, after a decade of deception by a relative posing as more than fifty people.
Lindsey Goldrick Dean Wins Freedom After 13 Years of Harassment
10th July 2018
After thirteen years and no help from the police, Paul Curran and his company agreed to pay damages, costs, and never to contact her again.
AS SEEN ON
Latest articles
“This programme should send your contact details to Cressida Dick who runs the Met… because you seem to have found a shortcut to finding and prosecuting these individuals.”
Richard Madeley
Good Morning Britain
21 videos found
Latest Cases:
Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare – The Lawyer’s Perspective on a Decade of Deception
Mel B and Stephen Belafonte Court Case – Why was Mel B slammed with a cost order following her restraining order
The Case of David Paisley vs. Graham Linehan – defamation, liability of page admin to defamation by third party users
Who is Yair Cohen
Yair Cohen is a solicitor whose journey into the vast and intricate domain of internet law began in 1997.
Starting as a web and e-commerce developer, his transition into a full-time internet law specialist was fuelled by a deep understanding of the online ecosystem’s dynamics. His vast experience culminated in his authorship of ‘The Net Is Closing: birth of the e-police’, a pioneering book that delved deep into the realms of online safety and policing.
His authority in the field is undisputed, having been a sought-after voice on TV, radio, newspapers, and notably, a contributing writer for the Daily Mail. Furthermore, Yair is recognized not just for his knowledge but also for being a colourful and engaging speaker, making him a favourite at multiple international internet law conferences. His interactions at these platforms have allowed him to be at the helm of developments in internet law globally.
A glance at some of his landmark cases underscores Yair Cohen’s unparalleled expertise
- The case of Melony Brown (Mel B) v Stephen Belafonte: Yair Cohen successfully defended a non-molestation order application by the former Spice Girl, Mel B against her former husband.
- The case of Stephen Belafonte v News Group Newspapers: The Sun told its readers that Mr Belafonte had harassed his former wife, in the same week that a court had declined to make the order she sought against him. In February 2026 the High Court ruled that the article accused him of harassment outright, the most serious level of defamatory meaning, which the newspaper now has to justify.
- Brian Dudley v Michael Phillips: A case where a financial advisor was awarded combined damages for defamation and a Data Protection Act breach after enduring 6 years of online harassment.
- XLD v KZL: Yair strategically secured a blackmail injunction, safeguarding the confidentiality of a relationship and the identity of an involved individual.
- R V Paul Britton & Phipps v Paul Britton and Origin Design: A first-of-its-kind case in the UK where an online troll faced dual accountability: in a criminal court and subsequently in a civil case in the High Court.
- Rada-Ortiz v Espinosa-Vadillo: This case set a UK precedent by issuing a harassment injunction against a former UN employee who targeted his previous supervisor.
- Dominated Men and Mario Rogers: Yair’s meticulous investigation unveiled a primary school head teacher’s covert and exploitative life as a porn producer.
- DDF V YYZ: Another first, where Yair achieved service of a harassment injunction via Instagram.
- GYH V Persons Unknown: Yair championed the rights of a transgender sex worker, preserving her right to maintain privacy regarding her transition on review websites.
- The case of Nicola Brookes V Persons Unknown: A pioneering case compelling Facebook to reveal information about an internet troll.
- Lindsey Goldrick Dean V Paul Curran: Yair’s relentless efforts culminated in justice being served in the UK’s longest-known harassment case, lasting for over a decade.
- The Case of Kirat Assi v Simran Kaur Bhogal – Sweet Bobby: A decade-long catfishing intrigue that saw its conclusion with Yair bringing the culprit to justice in the High Court.
- The case of RXE v Daniel Ryan and others: A British businessman blackmailed by a gang posing as a woman on the dating site Seeking had paid more than $70,000 and £30,000 before he came to Yair. Five days of preparation and a wait for the next demand ended with a High Court injunction granted without notice on the evening of 30 June 2026, naming the men behind the accounts and ordering them to disclose within 24 hours who they were and where the money went, while the victim stays anonymous.
- The case of HSX v Daniel Ryan and others: A New York businessman who had sent nothing more than clothed photographs was threatened with a fabricated allegation involving children unless he paid £100,000 by a Monday. Instructed on the Friday afternoon, Yair’s investigators linked the demand to the same gang within hours; a High Court judge sat on the Saturday to grant an emergency injunction, continued to trial in a public judgment that named the defendants and kept the victim anonymous.
- The case of PHJ v UJV: A married American businessman was blackmailed by someone inside his own circle, who demanded a further £20,000 by ten o’clock that night after years of payments. Instructed two days earlier, Yair filed the application shortly after 1pm on 8 July 2026; the High Court granted an injunction without notice that afternoon and it was served at 7.51pm, two hours before the deadline. Both parties were anonymised to prevent jigsaw identification, and the injunction was continued until trial on 23 July 2026.
- The case of Sasha Davies v Elha Mai Weston: After promising live on ITV’s This Morning to unmask the catfish who had impersonated Sasha Davies for four years, Yair traced the perpetrator, who apologised in open court at the High Court, paid damages and is bound by court undertakings never to repeat the conduct.
- TJM v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police: A monumental case where, for the first time, a police force was found guilty of the highest level of defamation. Yair represented a Royal Marine who suffered defamation at the hands of the police force.
- The case of The Hampstead satanic cult: An extraordinary case where an entire London community battled the police and CPS for their right to be protected from social media abuse. Following legal intervention, the case was prosecuted, resulting in the highest sentence ever imposed in the UK for harassment being handed down to the perpetrator.
- The case of David Paisley and Graham Linehan: Yair Cohen represents David Paisley, a Scottish actor and transgender rights activist, in a defamation case against Graham Linehan, the creator of Father Ted. Paisley, known for his role in Holby City, is suing Linehan over articles and comments published on Linehan’s Substack blog and social media channels. In a pre-trial hearing at the English High Court, seven different publications by Linehan were presented, which were deemed capable of being defamatory. The court also ruled that Linehan would need to defend comments made by a third party on his platform. Paisley is seeking to clear his name through the forthcoming trial. Linehan, who denies the accusations, has set up a crowdfunding campaign to cover his legal expenses.
With such a vast repertoire of ground-breaking cases, Yair Cohen stands as a beacon in internet law. His experiences, combined with his eloquent engagements, solidify his stature as a leading authority in the realm of digital justice.
“We have got laws in place: the same laws that apply to offline activities apply to online activities.“
Yair Cohen
on BBC Radio
Recent Events
September 2026
The Internet Law Leadership Summit 2026
Yair Cohen presents the UK law and free speech update to the summit of leading US internet law attorneys
From 09:00 until 15:00
At Aria Hotel, Las Vegas
November 2024
Negotiating the internet legal minefield
It is a time where a single misstep online can land you in jail, and understanding the legal landscape of the internet has never been more critical. It is an essential event for anyone navigating the digital space, from social media users to business operators and content creators.
From 11:30 until 15:30
At Institution of Engineering and Technology