Alex Wade

CEO

Alex is the CEO and owner of Reviewed & Cleared.

Alex qualified as a solicitor with Carter-Ruck in 1994 and went on to be head of legal for Northern & Shell plc. He also worked for Wiggin, Theodore Goddard and Prisma Sports & Media before, in the early 2000s, opting to combine working as a night lawyer for newspapers with being a freelance journalist.

Alex has advised almost every UK newspaper, and continues to work regularly with The Times, Sunday Times and Guardian. He works with a number of clients in book and magazine publishing, and is an experienced TV lawyer, with credits for legal work on BBC prime time shows and many years’ work for independent production companies on documentaries, comedies, films, music and sports series which have aired on major platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Channel 4 and Discovery.

Alex is also a professional writer. He has been short-listed by the Sports Journalists’ Association as sports feature writer of the year, worked as an editor of supplements and microsites for The Guardian, and has written four non-fiction sports books. In 2016, Alex’s first novel, Flack’s Last Shift, was published. Set on Fleet Street at a fictional newspaper, the novel was described by The Times as “Wickedly observant… this witty, pacey thriller is a portrait of newspapers at a time of mighty upheaval.” More recently, Alex’s book A Season on the Med – Riviera Football in Italy and France (With a Trip to Athens for Stan) was published by Pitch Publishing. The TLS reviewed the book here and there’s more on Alex’s writing at www.alexwade.com.

Having worked with journalists, editors and broadcasters all his life, as a lawyer, journalist and writer, Alex has a unique understanding of the business of content creation. He brings a quick-thinking, practical approach to content clearance, with one overriding aim: to see the story published. And unusually among lawyers, Alex co-hosts (with John O’Hare, designer of this website) a podcast on football. Have a listen at www.footyonthemed.com

Contact R&C

We’re always happy to have an initial, no strings conversation about your legal needs. Please feel free to email, call or use the form below to start your conversation with us.

  • Working with Alex has been fantastic. His extensive experience in media and publishing and his commitment to freedom of expression have made him a pleasure to work with at every stage. The timely, pragmatic and thoughtful advice he has provided us with has enabled us to publish with more conviction than ever.

    Sarah Braybrook, Managing Director, Scribe Publications

  • As someone who has been an investigative journalist for many years, I have a general distrust and dislike of media lawyers. However, Alex is the exception that proves the rule. Someone who prioritises getting it right over covering his arse. Someone who makes a genuine effort to understand the subject matter as well as understanding the importance of getting difficult and complex issues into the public domain and who works with the client to get stuff done.

    George Turner, Executive Director, TaxWatch

  • Alex Wade is our go-to lawyer. He understands the risk association within our market sector, giving clear and sound legal advice in a timely fashion. Understanding the nuances within our market is key to our commercial success and Alex delivers in spades.

    Hannah Fernando, Editor, Woman

  • Alex at Reviewed and Cleared has always done a great job overseeing People, Just People with Dermot O'Leary for Audible. Always prompt with sound advice.

    Ben Walker, Ora Et Labora

  • I highly recommend Alex. He's an absolute dream to work with. His feedback was always clear and actionable and delivered promptly. I also appreciated how personal and friendly our interactions were, which made the experience of handling our legal requirements an absolute joy instead of a headache.

    Imriel Morgan, Founder & CEO, Content Is Queen

  • As an editor running three busy news websites it is hugely reassuring to be able to call up Alex when a tricky story comes through. He responds quickly to urgent calls and provides very well considered and practical advice so that I can understand our legal position and make informed decisions. If I am ever in any doubt that something could be libellous, I do not hesitate to get in touch. Often a quick conversation is enough to clarify the issue and put my mind at ease, other times Alex needs to thoroughly consider a piece and give back detailed notes. But always Alex enables my team to run the strongest possible story while making sure it is balanced and fair.

    Chloe McCulloch, Editor, Building

  • I’ve worked with Alex Wade at Reviewed & Cleared on a number of legal reads for books we have published at Canongate, and always found the process to be professional, efficient, collaborative and thorough. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him and their services.

    Simon Thorogood, Editorial Director, Canongate

  • I’ll be forever grateful that my nephew recommended Alex. That he knows his stuff is without question. It’s his dedication that makes him so special and made us, as his clients feel special too. A panicked email or call  about something we couldn’t comprehend would be answered swiftly with patience. Alex not only gave us his legal knowledge but supported us where he had other knowledge too. His understanding of the world of books, film and networking were invaluable and we thank him for generously sharing that knowledge with us. 

    Suzette Llewellyn, Actor and co-author of 100 Voices

  • Alex is a brilliant media lawyer who has saved our skin on countless occasions. He also understands journalists and the needs of a small publication like Legal Cheek. So as well as being spot on legally his advice is always pragmatic and streetwise.

    Alex Aldridge, Founder, Legal Cheek

  • It was our extra good luck, following research about firms with the right reputation, to engage Alex Wade and his very professional firm from far away Australia to advise us of any potential pitfalls in the UK publishing of  a true crime book on a controversial case. During this seamless process we visited the UK on holiday and Alex went out of his way to meet us in a coastal village to establish a personal relationship, which continues to this day.   In 20 years of writing 15 high profile true crime books I’ve never had a better lawyer to work with.

    Robin Bowles, Australian Crime Writer

  • Alex Wade has been of enormous help to the Atlantic Council on many occasions. He is quick, smart, and tuned in to our needs - his advice is quickly actionable and has helped us not only avoid legal risk but improve our work. We see Reviewed and Cleared as key supporters of our work and their ability to get involved in the most complex of matters in good time has been invaluable for us. We would unhesitatingly recommend Alex Wade and Reviewed and Cleared to others. 

    Andrew Marshall, Atlantic Council

  • We have regularly worked with Alex Wade on digital editorial pieces, many of which are factually and legally complex. We have and really benefited from his breadth and depth of experience and guiding hand. He is clear and quick to respond and due to long standing experience on both sides of the media advice world as a writer and lawyer has great judgement and is able to provide pragmatic and solution oriented advice which we really value. We would not hesitate in recommending his services.

    Katrina Dick, Vice Media Group EMEA