Our Founder
Stuart Leach
An advertising executive turned barrister following graduation from Oxford University with an MA in Jurisprudence, Stuart has a broad range of skills and backgrounds which do not conform to any industry stereotype. He spent 18 years in advertising before being called to the Bar in 2004. During his advertising career he worked at major agencies on a wide range of brands from Red Bull to Mastercard, Qantas to Morgan’s Spiced Rum. He was MD and CEO of several agencies and won several prestigious awards. He was also an advisor to Paddy Ashdown when he was leader of the Liberal Democrat Party. He consistently demonstrated an ability to create and execute multi-channel and effective communications.
At the Bar he practiced from Pump Court Chambers in the Temple. During this time he represented clients in a wide range of matters from Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, Matrimonial Finance, Inheritance Disputes, and Contract/Commercial disputes. He appeared in the Crown Court, Companies Court, High Court and the Court of Appeal.
Stuart left the Bar in 2013 to combine his communications and legal skills and set up his practice within Bell Pottinger, and over the last 9 years he practiced a new kind of advisory role that has benefited a wide range of clients from sovereign entities to UHNWs. He has developed a new approach to litigation communications founded on an original process that is recognized as unique by the lawyers he works with. He has consistently been named as a Top Ten Reputation Advisor by Spears Wealth, and has lectured on litigation communications at Cornell and Yale Law Schools, and is regularly invited to speak at legal conferences.
He has set Stuart Leach Associates up to provide top class reputation advice, effective communications, and access to multi-disciplinary teams. The consultancy is focused, agile, conflict free, and committed to providing real returns on reputation expenditure along with the highest standards of client service.