Defamation

The law of defamation attempts to reconcile our society's deeply held belief in the value of a free press and protected expression under the First Amendment, with its equally strong belief in individual rights and the value of reputation. Notwithstanding the profound national commitment to robust debate of public issues, the interests of public figures and private individuals in the preservation of their reputations existed long before mass media. Our law has struggled to define the proper accommodation between these clashing ideals. Through a complicated and imperfect system of balancing tests, the law secures a degree of protection for individual rights, although it limits recovery of damages to instances where the media defames without proper investigation of the facts. We guide our clients through that system, not as litigators after a lawsuit is commenced, but before publication occurs. Our clients include book publishers and authors of fiction and non-fiction, web publishers, producers of television series and makers of theatrical motion pictures. Our goal is to review works efficiently and economically not only by focusing on what our clients cannot say, but also on what they can say with a reasonable margin of safety while delivering their messages with verve and strength.

See also:
Book Publishing | Documentaries | Motion Pictures | Music | New/Digital Media | Television