Ballard Spahr LLP is a First Amendment powerhouse that is frequently called upon to represent creative clients, as well as individuals and organizations from the publishing industry. The team has taken part in widely publicized disputes, such as the defense of those accused of defamation by former President Trump, or the settled appeal of the Heard v Depp case. In Washington DC, team head Charles Tobin has argued extensively for his media clients in libel and privacy lawsuits in state, federal, and appellate courts. Team founder David Bodney conducts his practice from Arizona, covering a range of issues with potentially constitutional ramifications. In New York, Thomas Sullivan assists those accused of disseminating defamatory information and pursues document access and freedom information claims. Based in Minnesota, Leita Walker is an expert First Amendment litigator who has been acting for Netflix to defend a defamation suit arising out of the documentary ‘Making a Murderer’.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
'Ballard is among the very best firms in the country in this practice area, deftly handling even the most difficult cases.’
‘Chuck Tobin, Chad Bowman, Leita Walker, Matthew Kelley, Jay Brown, and Michael Berry are some of the practice's most talented partners.'
‘They care about journalism and media freedom with a passion.’
‘They know the subject and are always conscious of what is really important.’
Key clients
- ABC
- Amazon
- Amber Heard
- Apple
- The Associated Press
- Cable News Network
- CBS Broadcasting
- Dow Jones
- Fox Television Stations
- NBCUniversal
- Netflix
- The New York Times
- The Washington Post
Work highlights
- Represented a coalition of national news organizations seeking access to court records relating to the ongoing investigations and prosecutions of former President Donald Trump.
- Won a summary judgment for Netflix in a defamation suit arising out of the documentary “Making a Murderer.”
- Obtained a dismissal of a false light claim brought by a sitting Pennsylvania state court judge based on an article that referred to her as “QAnon-Linked.”
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Charles D. Tobin