Susman Godfrey lawyers have a proven track record in defamation litigation. In a landmark event, they secured what is believed to be the largest defamation settlement in history—$787.5 million from Fox News on behalf of Dominion Voting Systems. On the heels of this result, they won what is believed to be the largest defamation judgment ever in New York state—$203 million from fashion mogul Peter Nygard on behalf of Louis Bacon.
As the following additional examples will prove, our lawyers are adept at handling defamation litigation and securing desired results for our clients – in and out of the courtroom.
- US Dominion Inc. et al. v. Fox News Network LLC. Secured a historic $787.5 million settlement to resolve client Dominion Voting System’s defamation lawsuit against Fox News Network and Fox Corporation, just before jury trial was to commence in Delaware Superior Court. Susman Godfrey is prosecuting similar defamation claims on behalf of Dominion against Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Mike Lindell, Patrick Byrne, One America News Network (OAN) and Newsmax TV. Read more.
- Louis Bacon, v. Peter Nygard. Won a $203 million judgment on behalf of New York hedge fund legend Louis Bacon, in his defamation battle with Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard. Bacon filed the defamation action against Nygard in January 2015, after uncovering evidence that Nygard devised a campaign to defame Bacon in various publications with false allegations, such as falsely claiming Bacon had engaged in insider trading or was affiliated with the Ku Klux Klan. Read more.
- Cohen v. OAN. Served as co-lead counsel to acclaimed lawyer, Michael Cohen, when One America News Network (OAN) publicly retracted a false article that OAN published about Cohen. The retraction came after an OAN article falsely claimed Mr. Cohen was having an affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels, and that Mr. Cohen was trying to extort Mr. Trump. Susman Godfrey was able to secure this result for Mr. Cohen before litigation began. Read more.
- Arthur v. TMZ. Won summary judgment for client TMZ and its host Harvey Levin in a defamation case brought against the entertainment news giant by the mother of the late model/actress Anna Nicole Smith.
- Rhonda Hill Wilson v. American Association for Justice. Won an appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on behalf of the American Association for Justice affirming the dismissal of a defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress action filed by a former AAJ officer.
- Internet Speech Defense. Defended a leading social media website against claims for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and public disclosure of private facts based on user comments posted to the website. The case settled shortly after Susman Godfrey filed a motion to dismiss.
- Defamation and Slander Litigation. Represented the General Counsel of a well-known New York Stock Exchange company in his defamation case against that company. The company publicly blamed a significant non-disclosure in an SEC filing on the General Counsel. The General Counsel sued for libel and slander and settled the case on the eve of trial for an amount that is confidential.
- Various #metoo Related Suits. Served as counsel in several #metoo related lawsuits, all of which settled out of court or before trial.
- Rich v. Fox News. Represented Joel and Mary Rich, grieving parents of a murdered child, who brought suit in federal court against Fox News, Malia Zimmerman, and Ed Butowsky seeking justice for having become collateral damage in a political war to which they are innocent bystanders. The Riches allege the defendants intentionally exploited the murder of their son through lies, misrepresentations, and half-truths. The case settled for a confidential amount. Read more.