Leech agrees to pay lawyers after ‘relationship breakdown’

Communications consultant Monica Leech has agreed to pay fees due to lawyers who brought libel actions on her behalf, after a judge was told there had been a breakdown in the relationship between her and her legal team over the fees and advice.

McCann FitzGerald, the solicitors who represented her in the actions, including one in June 2009 when she was awarded €1.87m in libel damages over a series of Evening Herald articles in 2004, were yesterday given the court’s permission not to represent her anymore, or “come off record”, as it is known in legal circles.

This was because of an irretrievable breakdown in the relationship between her and the solicitors, said David Holland, for McCann FitzGerald.