California’s laws governing strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP) involve a complex statutory framework designed to protect the rights to petition and speech.  We are leaders in the field, handling several dozen SLAPP/anti-SLAPP cases, including landmark decisions, in state, federal, trial and appellate courts for media and non-media clients.  Although all cases differ, we routinely get substantial attorneys' fees awards for our clients under the anti-SLAPP statute, including an award of over $100,000.  Here is a very small sample of our experience:

• Lieberman v. KCOP Television, Inc., 110 Cal. App. 4th 156 (2003).  We represented a television station in the first published case to apply California’s SLAPP statute to claims for newsgathering.

• Sipple v. Foundation for Nat’l Progress, 71 Cal. App. 4th 226 (1999).  Landmark case interpreting the parameters of California’s anti-SLAPP statute.

• Jones Day v. MediaNews Group, 34 Media Law Reporter 1411 (Cal. App. 2006).  We represented a newspaper publisher and reporter in a case applying the SLAPP statute to claims for conversion and misappropriation of trade secrets stemming from the gathering and dissemination of information concerning California’s voting machines.

• Thomas v. Los Angeles Times Communications LLC, 189 F.Supp.2d 1005 (C.D. Cal. 2002), aff’d, (9th Cir. Sep. 6, 2002).  In a case for a newspaper, a federal district court struck down a public figure’s defamation claims under California’s anti-SLAPP statute, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s decision.

• Brought successful anti-SLAPP motion, striking down rap artist’s defamation claim based on television station’s news broadcast regarding the murder of another famous rapper.

• Defeated plaintiff’s defamation and privacy claims under anti-SLAPP statute, and secured a six-figure attorneys’ fee judgment for our client, a television broadcasting company.

• Successfully defended cable television station under SLAPP statute against defamation and privacy claims brought by prominent public figure who claimed she had been defamed by a biographical program suggesting that she was a police informant.

• Defeated champion fighter’s cross-complaint for defamation and breach of contract stemming from statements made at a press conference by executives at a fight promotion company.

• Defeated claims attacking insurance company’s right to petition Congress for legislation.