Media and Communications Law
Range of Practice
Schiff Hardin provides counseling and litigation services to both media and non-media clients in a broad range of areas, including:
- Defamation (libel and slander)
- Commercial disparagement
- Invasion of privacy
- Misappropriation of name, likeness and image
- Right of publicity
- Internet issues
- Comparative and false advertising
- Interference with contract or prospective economic advantage
- Intentional infliction of emotional distress
- Reporter's privilege and shield laws
- Right of access to court and other governmental records
- Other First Amendment issues
Illustrative Representations
- Successful defense in the United States Supreme Court of multi-million dollar claims for defamation against Fortune.
- Successful appeal in the Illinois Supreme Court of claims for defamation against a magazine publisher establishing that the fair report privilege cannot be defeated by actual malice and that there is no judicial action limitation on the privilege.
- Successful defense of claims for defamation and false light invasion of privacy against Forbes.
- Successful defense of claims for defamation and false light invasion of privacy against Fox Television Stations and its investigative reporter.
- Successful defense of claims for defamation against (a) CBS Broadcasting and its reporter and (b) Fox Television Stations, its general manager and its reporter.
- Successful defense of claims for defamation against a reporter and the publisher of the New York Post.
- Successful defense of claims for defamation against the Bergen Record.
- Successful prosecution of claims for public and press access to court proceedings in the Baby M surrogate mother case on behalf of the Bergen Record.
- Successful prosecution of challenge to Clifton, New Jersey newsrack ordinance on behalf of the Bergen Record.
- Successful defense of multi-million dollar claim for invasion of privacy against the Macon Telegraph.
- Successful prosecution of claim for access to state university records in possession of private organization on behalf of the Macon Telegraph that led to a change in state law.
- Successful prosecution of numerous motions to quash subpoenas directed to the media.
- Successful defense of claims in excess of $150 million for commercial disparagement against ANTEC and Keptel.
- Successful defense of claims in excess of $6 million for defamation and tortious interference with business relationships against Charles Schwab & Co.
- Successful defense of multi-million dollar claims for defamation and related torts against the Chicago-Crawford Currency Exchange and its president.
- Successful defense of multi-million dollar claims for defamation against the auditor of the Bank of Bellwood.
Successful defense of claims for defamation and invasion of privacy against the Chicago Council of Lawyers and its president.
- Successful prosecution of multi-million dollar claims for misappropriation of name, likeness and image and trademark infringement on behalf of Michael Jordan.
