Something remarkable happened in the High Court of Justice in London yesterday (October 17).
It might not have involved celebrities like Coleen Rooney or Rebekah Vardy – but the outcome was arguably more significant than the 鈥榃agatha Christie鈥� case.
Jess Alden, who is one of the UK鈥檚 rising reputation and privacy lawyers, read out an agreed statement on behalf of her client – Victoria Price.
Price might not be a household name but she may go down as the woman who took on the Daily Mail鈥檚 mighty publisher Associated Newspapers – and won.
The case centred on a number of unwanted聽 stories the mother-of-three found herself at the centre of earlier this year because of her relationship with Asda co-owner Mohsin Issa.
Price has already donated the damages and a proportion of her legal fees from the case to charity and has described this week鈥檚 events as the conclusion of an 鈥榓wful chapter鈥� in her life.
Unlike the original sensational reporting of Price鈥檚 relationship with Issa, news of her victory has barely merited a mention in the media 鈥� which is why 老九品茶Cloud is publishing the David and Goliath story in full.
First of all, a quick recap on who Victoria Price is.
Price is a former EY partner who joined global consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal earlier this year to lead their private capital team in the UK.
She is a respected figure in her industry but at the same time she started her new job she found herself at the centre of a media storm because of her relationship with Mohsin Issa.
The headline in the聽Evening Standard聽screamed: 鈥楳ohsin Issa confirms relationship with ex-EY tax partner after Asda auditor resignation.鈥�
The headline in聽The Times聽focused on Issa: 鈥楢sda co-owner 鈥榠n relationship鈥� with ex-EY tax partner鈥�.
However the聽Daily Mail surpassed itself by managing to get 鈥榖illionaire Asda brothers鈥�; 鈥樎�18m home鈥�; and 鈥榥ew lover鈥� in the same headline.
The main justification for the coverage was that Price had been a partner at EY, one of the famous 鈥楤ig 4鈥� accountants, while they were Asda鈥檚 auditors.
There are quite rightly strict ethical rules governing relationships between auditors and their clients but the facts are that Price wasn鈥檛 an audit partner at EY and didn鈥檛 work on the Asda business.
Victoria Price and Clare Roberts, CEO, Kids Planet
However, she chose to resign to pursue her relationship with Issa.
You might think that would be the end of the story – but you would be wrong.
Issa became big news when he and his brother Zuber – who founded EG Group (previously Euro Garages) in 2001 鈥� bought Asda in 2020.
Price and Issa had chosen to keep their relationship relatively low key – but the Daily Mail had different ideas.
Several members of Price鈥檚 family were contacted by journalists.
Price was in the US meeting new colleagues when the story dropped. The Daily Mail also phoned her new place of work.
A lesser person might have buckled but Price has spent her life overcoming adversity.
For full disclosure I鈥檓 in the unique position of having previously worked at the Daily Mail and knowing Price. I鈥檓 proud to know Price.
She shared her story with me more than a decade ago at the regional final of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards when we found ourselves sitting next to each other.
Teenage mum
She became pregnant at the age of 17 while doing her A-Levels and had to leave school.
While being pregnant she took a string of low paid jobs, including selling calendars on a market stall and waitressing in a Chinese restaurant.
At the age of 18 her son was born seven weeks prematurely and the new teenage mum had to spend two weeks in hospital with pre-eclampsia.
She went to night school to finish her A-Levels and obtained grades of A, A, C.
Unable to afford to go to university she bought herself a stack of books and taught herself to become an accountant.
When she sat her Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) exam she won a prize for getting one of the highest marks in the country.
After landing a job at North West accountants Tollit & Stockton she joined EY in 2006 and eventually led the UK & Ireland private team, helping it triple in size.
In 2015 she and was appointed partner despite only being in her early 30s.
Through her work with the EY Foundation, she did everything from trek across the Sahara to climb Kilimanjaro.
As recently as last Sunday she posted on LinkedIn that she鈥檇 walked 20 miles in aid of The Prince鈥檚 Trust and helped raise 拢200k.
Family-first, ambitious and fiercely determined she gets up at 5am to go to the gym.
In 2018 she presented Mohsin and Zuber Issa with the award for Entrepreneur of The Year 2018 North in a ceremony at The Lowry Hotel, in Manchester.
It鈥檚 the photo from this night of a laughing Issa clutching the award alongside a smiling Price that is a particular favourite of the Daily Mail.
Price鈥檚 response to the media attacks was to employ the services of Chris Scott and Jess Alden, of London law firm Slateford.
Price鈥檚 legal team engaged David Sherborne KC, the high profile barrister who previously represented Princess Diana 聽and more recently represented Prince Harry in his recent phone hacking claims.
He also represented Coleen Rooney in her case against Rebekah Vardy and Johnny Depp in his libel suit against聽The Sun.
The culmination of her fight for justice came yesterday when her lawyer Jess Alden read out a statement at London鈥檚 High Court of Justice in London
She said: 鈥淎s a result of pressure and speculation from a range of media organisations, Ms Price was forced to confirm her relationship with Mr Issa in early February 2024.
鈥淗owever, in doing so, they requested through their solicitors that the media refrain from intruding into their private lives.
鈥淯nfortunately, despite this request, two articles were published by the defendant (Daily Mail) in February 2024 which contained some private and intrusive details, and some false private information about Ms Price鈥檚 personal life, as well as her relationships and religious beliefs.
The full story of how Innovate UK messed with the wrong women
鈥淎s a result, Ms Price had no alternative but to issue a letter before claim for misuse of private information.鈥�
A 鈥榣etter before claim鈥� is the formal process of putting a person on notice that court proceedings may be brought.
Aldem 聽added: 鈥淚 am pleased to be here today to announce on Ms Price鈥檚 behalf that her complaint against this defendant for the publication of these articles has been resolved.
Withdraw the articles
鈥淭he defendant has agreed to withdraw the articles and not to repeat the information contained in them, as well as to pay her legal fees and damages which she is donating to a charity of her choice.
鈥淚n these circumstances, and having achieved the objective which she sought, namely to make clear that she will not tolerate unwarranted invasions of her privacy, Ms Price is prepared to bring her complaint against the defendant to an end.鈥�
Speaking after yesterday鈥檚 court case, Chris Scott said: 鈥淣o-one should tolerate this kind of reporting intrusively targeting successful people鈥檚 private lives, and it鈥檚 only by someone like Victoria taking a stand against it that deterrence is created to protect everyone else鈥檚 freedoms.鈥�
Until now Price hasn鈥檛 spoken publicly about the impact the press intrusion has had on her life.
However, she broke her silence by posting the following comment on .
鈥淚n February of this year, the Daily Mail published a series of articles about me which included false private and private information that infringed my rights,鈥� she wrote.
鈥淚 chose to stay silent at the time but behind the scenes I took a stand against this unacceptable form of journalism which has caused me and my family much distress.
鈥淭oday my lawyers have read out a statement in open court confirming that the Mail鈥檚 publishers have agreed to pay me legal fees and damages.
鈥淚 have donated the damages and a proportion of my legal fees to charities that are close to my heart and that do really good work in the community, in particular for young people.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 make it ok but I鈥檓 glad to know that worthy causes will be positively impacted by the ordeal.
鈥淭oday鈥檚 statement in open court makes clear that I will not tolerate unwarranted invasions of my privacy or false reporting and I am pleased that it concludes this awful chapter.
鈥淚鈥檓 massively thankful for the swell of support that I received from friends, colleagues and strangers, but most of all I am grateful to my family for their steadfast love throughout what was a pretty horrific time. It has made us stronger.
Holding my head up high
鈥淎nyone who knows me will know how committed I am to my work and charitable endeavours and today, like every other day since February, I will be holding my head up high and getting on with the job at hand.鈥�
She ended by thanking her legal team and used the hashtag
But here鈥檚 the remarkable thing about Price.
In the time since the Daily Mail鈥檚 articles in February, Price hasn鈥檛 taken any time off because of it and has won 40 new clients for Alvarez & Marsal.
Price and Issa continue to maintain a discreet profile about their relationship although they did pose for a low-key photo with their legal team on the steps of the High Court of Justice yesterday.
The couple are planning to do more charity work together and have recently invested in a retail apparel and fashion business called Go Thrift.
5ft 2ins tall
A friend of Price said: 鈥淪he might only be 5ft 2ins tall and weigh 聽about 50kgs but you under-estimate her at your peril.
鈥淭his is about more than Victoria Price. It鈥檚 about the people whose lives are trampled over by the media and don鈥檛 have the means to fight back.
鈥淰ictoria won鈥檛 be defined by the Daily Mail. 聽This is about reclaiming her identity.鈥�
The friend said there will be no big celebration following the court appearance.
鈥淪he鈥檚 a Northern girl from Chester,鈥� added the friend.
鈥淪he鈥檚 down to earth. However my warning to the media is if they do the same again as the Daily Mail she won鈥檛 hesitate in taking action same again.鈥�
- 老九品茶Cloud would welcome a comment from Associated Newspapers.