Sue Stapely, a solicitor, is an independent communications consultant, specialising in reputation, crises and issues management. Until 2001 she was a Director of Fishburn Hedges, one of the fastest-growing corporate communications and design consultancies in the UK. It doubled in size and turnover in the five years she was with it. She now works primarily with strategic communications consultancy, Quiller Consultants of Buckingham Gate, London. Her clients include professional partnerships and institutions, government agencies, charities, international corporates and high-profile individuals. She specialises in managing the communications of legal matters and on a pro bono basis ran the successful campaign for miscarriage of justice victim, Sally Clark.

Before joining Fishburn Hedges, Sue was Head of Public Relations at the Law Society, the professional body for all solicitors in England and Wales, with responsibility for the Society’s public relations, public affairs and communications. She mounted public information campaigns, co-ordinated the Society’s political work and acted as media spokesperson for the Society. An expanded edition of her book, Media Relations for Lawyers, first published in 1994, is just out. She regularly broadcasts, lectures and writes.

Sue was invited to join the Law Society in 1989 while a partner in a law firm, where she shared management and marketing responsibilities, specialised in family law and set up the first public affairs department in a UK law firm.

A candidate for the SDP in the 1987 General Election, an elected member of the SDP’s National Executive Committee and Chair of the Women for Social Democracy, she was also the first National Chair of the 300 Group – the all-party campaign to bring more women into political and public life. In connection with these roles she contributed to many television and radio programmes, including Question Time, Any Questions and the Today programme.

Her first career with BBC Television involved work on a range of current affairs and drama programmes. She then took a law degree and qualified as a solicitor when her sons were babies, while managing two Citizens’ Advice Bureaux and being politically active.

Sue was a Board Member of the government’s Countryside Agency until recently, and is currently a member of the Advisory Council of the National Consumer Council. Sue is also on the boards of a number of charities and voluntary bodies, including the Voluntary Euthanasia Society, LAMDA (the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art) and the Spare Tyre Theatre Company, and is a member of the Development Council of the Royal Court Theatre. A graduate of the Common Purpose programme, and a participant in Open Ground, Sue is also a member of the Law Society, of BAFTA, of the Media Society, of International Women’s’ Forum, a Fellow of the Institute of Public Relations and a Fellow of the RSA. In the past her public and voluntary appointments have included membership of the boards of South West Thames Regional Health Authority, of the London Ambulance Service, of the Young Vic Theatre, of Clarity (the campaign for clear legal language) and as a founding Trustee of the Solicitors’ Pro Bono Group.

She provides public speaking and presentation skills Master Classes at the London School of Public Relations and media training with Electric Airwaves.

She lives in London and has two sons - a civil engineer and a lawyer. Her passions are justice, good conversation, fast cars and the theatre.