Speech & Communications
Our clients are at the forefront of business, technology and communications. As a result, they face legal challenges associated with speech and communications issues on a daily basis.
We help clients facing problems as diverse as defamation on blogs, solicitation on retailer and grocer property, false advertising over the Internet, disability access online, trade libel, and anti-SLAPP motions under California law and other state equivalents.
Representative matters we have handled include the following:
- For leading provider of subscription-based streaming videos, defense of national class actions claiming violation of disability anti-discrimination under ADA and state discrimination statutes relating to Internet-based closed captioning practices. Result: Obtained dismissal without leave to amend of class claims.
- For leading company in production of breast cancer drugs, prosecution of defamation claims against former employee and purported co-inventor for blogging untrue comments about company. Result: Pending.
- For publisher of popular trading card game, prosecution of trademark and copyright action to bar counterfeiting scheme by nationally known trading card distributor. Result: Obtained summary judgment, injunction, and favorable settlement for large sum.
- For national grocery chain, prosecution of statewide trespass actions to eject solicitors and petitioners from private premises in leading cases implicating cutting edge issues of California constitutional and property law. Result: Obtained injunctions, summary judgments, post-trial judgments, and affirmances on appeal.
- For leading streaming video programming providers, advice to general counsel about privacy risks of sharing subscriber viewing information with third-party ad developers and consultants under Video Privacy Protection Act. Result: Clients adopted recommended changes.