United States: Libel & Defamation

A federal court has awarded Blake Lively over $400,000 in attorneys' fees and costs under California's new anti-SLAPP statute after dismissing a defamation claim brought against her for speaking out about workplace harassment. This landmark ruling marks the first fee award under California Civil Code section 47.1, which protects communications about sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation—raising critical questions about the financial risks employers face when responding to workplace allega

Over the last few weeks, a lawsuit brought by a former JPMorgan Chase banker alleging sexual harassment and assault against the bank and a senior executive within its leveraged finance division has made headlines. The salacious complaint alleges that the executive subjected the plaintiff to sexual harassment, sexual assault, and retaliation during his employment. It also alleges that the bank defamed the plaintiff when it made derogatory claims about him to others in the financial services industry post-employment.

In Local Marketing, Inc. v. Bennett, the Texas Business Court addressed a common dispute involving employees who depart a business to form a competing venture.

Defamation lawsuits are on the rise in the United States, and have been for several years. Because defamation litigation is so increasingly relied upon as a means to address reputational injury...

Michigan's new Uniform Public Expression Protection Act (UPEPA), effective March 24, 2026, gives defendants in SLAPP suits a fast-track procedure for dismissal and fee recovery, expanding protections for free speech...

The makers of a docuseries about a man who was allegedly scammed by his wife are appealing a Florida appellate court’s decision.

A Florida jury awarded Jack Nicklaus $50 million after finding that his former business partners defamed him by widely publicizing false statements from a court complaint, damaging his reputation.

The Court dismissed Drake's defamation case predicated on the lyrics of Kendrick Lamar's mega-hit Not Like Us, dealing the final blow (for now) in the infamous 2024...

On October 9, 2025, in Gopher Media LLC v. Melone, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overruled precedent established over 20 years ago in Batzel v. Smith by unanimously holding...