Pia Sarma
Editorial Legal Director, Times Newspapers Limited, and Deputy General Counsel, News UK
Pia Sarma is the editorial legal director of Times Newspapers Limited, the publisher of The Times and The Sunday Times, and deputy general counsel at News UK, London, one of the leading media businesses in the UK and Ireland. She advises the editors and journalists of both publications on all content issues including investigations, and leads defence litigation, which has liberalised laws for public interest and investigative journalism.
Sarma has played a key role in the changes in law and regulation affecting journalism and free speech in the UK, campaigning for protections for journalism. She has defended and won significant cases for Times Newspapers Limited that have strengthened the law supporting public interest journalism including Hunt v TNL, Cruddas v TNL, and Yeo v TNL. She sued Lance Armstrong for recovery of libel damages paid to him after he admitted cheating. She is chair of the London Media Lawyers’ Association, an organisation representing UK broadcasters and publishers.