Phone-hacking lawyer Mark Lewis is poised to take legal action against News Corp. in the U.S., as the long-running scandal moves beyond the U.K. courts.
Taylor Hampton's Lewis is set to arrive in the U.S. this weekend to begin discussions with New York civil liberties lawyer Norman Siegel over legal action for three alleged victims of phone-hacking described as a "well-known sports person," a sports person not in the public eye and a U.S. citizen.
Lewis is expected to lodge a number of lawsuits in the New York courts in the coming months.
The news comes after Lewis last September announced his intention to file a U.S. class action against News Corp. relating to allegations of phone-hacking and police bribery by News of the World (NoW) staff. Lewis represents a number of phone-hacking victims including the family of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler.
The phone-hacking scandal, which led to last July's closure of the NoW, has seen a number of high-profile lawyers face intense media scrutiny.
News International's longstanding legal manager Tom Crone left the company last summer amid the scandal, while the ensuing Leveson Inquiry into media standards has featured tough questions for lawyers including Farrer & Co's Julian Pike, ex-Harbottle & Lewis managing partner Lawrence Abramson and former Times legal manager Alastair Brett.
News Corp. has paid out nearly $200 million (£126 million) in legal costs over the phone-hacking scandal to date, with the majority spent on external advice, according to the company's latest financial results announced in February this year.
