Media & Communications Law

‘Right to be forgotten’ can apply to criminals: UK high court rules against Google

The “right to be forgotten” notched a win in the High Court of England and Wales, requiring Google to delist references to a businessman’s criminal history.

Apr 16, 2018 8:00 AM CDT

Former law student obtains $6.45M judgment in revenge porn case

A former law student in California has obtained a $6.45 million default judgment against a former boyfriend accused of posting her intimate photos after their breakup.

Apr 11, 2018 7:00 AM CDT

Parents of slain DNC staffer sue Fox News for alleged distress caused by retracted WikiLeaks story

The parents of a murdered staffer for the Democratic National Committee have filed a suit against Fox News that claims a false story about their son intentionally exploited their tragedy and caused them significant emotional distress.

Mar 15, 2018 8:15 AM CDT

Ethics opinion stresses lawyers’ duty of confidentiality when blogging

Lawyers should be mindful of the duty of confidentiality when they engage in public commentary, including blogging and other online postings, according to an ethics opinion from the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility.

Mar 6, 2018 10:28 AM CST

Coal company accuses judge of ‘flagrant disregard of the law’ for siding with John Oliver

A state court judge has decided to dismiss a defamation suit filed against John Oliver over a satirical segment on the cable television program Last Week Tonight that criticized a coal company and its CEO for their treatment of workers. Judge Jeffrey Cramer of Moundsville, West Virginia, informed lawyers in…

Feb 26, 2018 2:55 PM CST

Not all private social media photos are subject to discovery, but some may be, says New York court

In a personal injury lawsuit involving a horse riding accident, the New York State Court of Appeals ruled that Facebook photos the plaintiff set as private are discoverable.

Feb 14, 2018 11:16 AM CST

Judge: Kushner company must reveal identities of real estate partners

A federal judge in Maryland ruled Friday that Jared Kushner’s family real estate company could not keep secret the identities of its partners in Baltimore-area apartment complexes that are the subject of a class-action lawsuit by tenants. The class-action lawsuit was filed in September, following a May article co-published by…

Jan 30, 2018 6:16 PM CST

Federal court tosses judge’s suit against sheriff who investigated her for releasing courtroom video

A federal judge in Michigan has dismissed a retaliation lawsuit filed by a state court judge against the sheriff who sought to charge her for releasing a courtroom video showing a defendant’s attempted shank attack on a prosecutor. U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker in Grand Rapids dismissed the lawsuit by…

Jan 16, 2018 1:31 PM CST

Trump’s lawyer sends letter demanding publisher halt release of unflattering book

Updated: A prominent libel lawyer representing President Donald Trump has fired off cease-and-desist letters in an attempt to stop the scheduled release of an unflattering book on the president's administration, and to stifle Steve Bannon, Trump's former strategist whose derogatory comments in the book have infuriated the president.

Jan 4, 2018 3:25 PM CST

Offshore law firm sues 2 UK-based news outlets for reporting on ‘Paradise Papers’

Offshore law firm Appleby has sued the BBC and the Guardian for their reports on documents taken in a data breach. Appleby wants a permanent injunction to prevent further use of the information, disclosure of the documents taken, and return of all document copies, report the BBC and the Guardian.…

Dec 19, 2017 2:09 PM CST

Justice Department sues to block AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner; Trump tweets may factor in case

The U.S. Justice Department on Monday filed an antitrust suit seeking to block AT&T’s $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner. The suit points out that AT&T’s DirecTV is the nation’s largest distributor of traditional subscription television, and Time Warner owns many top TV networks, including TNT, TBS, CNN, and HBO.…

Nov 20, 2017 4:40 PM CST

Roy Moore’s lawyer threatens website with ‘utterly incoherent’ letter

The lawyer representing former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore is being closely scrutinized as he tries to fend off accusations that the Republican U.S. Senate candidate had pursued inappropriate relationships with multiple teenage girls in the 1970s and 1980s, including a 14-year-old. Trenton Garmon of Garmon & Liddon fired off…

Nov 16, 2017 12:05 PM CST

DOJ says Trump’s tweets are official presidential statements

The Department of Justice on Monday told a federal district court judge In Washington, D.C. that Donald Trump’s tweets are “official statements of the President of the United States.”

Nov 14, 2017 2:49 PM CST

Did David Boies push ethical boundaries with dual role for Weinstein and the New York Times?

Boies Schiller Flexner partner David Boies says he would never have signed a contract with an investigative agency had he known of the tactics it used in an effort to stop the New York Times and other journalists from publishing a story about sexual harassment by embattled Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

Nov 8, 2017 9:28 AM CST

Could Trump pull NBC’s broadcast license? The First Amendment isn’t his only problem

President Donald Trump on Wednesday tweeted his displeasure with an NBC News report that said he wanted a nearly tenfold increase in the country’s nuclear warhead stockpile.

Oct 12, 2017 8:00 AM CDT