Laura Handman, co-chair of the firm’s appellate practice, concentrates on media and intellectual property law. She provides pre-publication counseling and litigation services from complaint through trial and appeal to U.S. and foreign broadcasters, film studios, and book, magazine, newspaper and Internet publishers. Laura has extensive experience in libel, newsgathering, privacy, reporter’s privilege and First Amendment matters and has served as an expert on American libel law in actions in England, Northern Ireland and Australia. She brings recognized expertise to clients copyright and trademark litigation and was appointed a special master in S.D.N.Y. to review advertising and promotion in a civil fraud action.
Laura’s clients include: Amazon.com, CNN, Discovery Communications, Dow Jones, The Economist, Fox Television Stations, The Guardian, Hachette Book Group USA (formerly Little Brown and Company), HarperCollins, The New York Daily News, The New York Observer, National Public Radio (NPR), Random House, Reader’s Digest, Reed Elsevier, TMZ, U.S. News & World Report and Warner Brothers.
Laura is a member of the firm's executive committee.
Selected Experience
Amazon.com v. Kenneth Lay, Secretary, North Carolina’s Department of Revenue
Amazon.com, LLC
Ongoing
Seeking declaratory judgment that North Carolina’s request for information about customers’ choices of expressive material violates the First Amendment.
Mar-Jac Poultry v. Katz, et al., Unus v. Katz, et al.
Rita Katz, SITE Institute and IG, LLC
Ongoing
Defending author of book “Terrorist Hunter” against two libel suits and one constitutional tort action arising out her investigation of Muslim charities’ alleged funding of terrorism. One libel suit dropped, one pending and constitutional tort action dismissed and affirmed by the 4th Circuit (2009).
Martin v. New York Daily News, L.P.
New York Daily News, L.P.
Ongoing
Defending daily newspaper in libel action brought by a sitting judge.
Doe v. Epstein
New York Daily News
Ongoing
Moving to quash non party federal subpoena to newspaper for interview of defendant in civil suit for sexual abuse.
Young v. Young
New York Daily News, New York Post, Newsday, News 12 (Cablevision), WCBS-TV
2010
Obtained dismissal of constitutional tort claim alleging a ride-along with law enforcement into plaintiff’s home.
In re Grand Jury
Straus Newspapers
2010
Quashed grand jury subpoena to newspaper for IP addresses of anonymous bloggers.
NBAA v. FAA
Pro Publica
2010
Defeated a reverse FOIA claim seeking to prevent the FAA from releasing information about private plane owners who have blocked public release of flight plans.
CACI International v. Randi Rhodes and Piquant, LLC (Air America Radio)
Air America Radio, Randi Rhodes
2008
Secured summary judgment dismissing libel suit which alleged that, on her radio program, Rhodes falsely stated that CACI interrogators were responsible for rape, murder and torture at Abu Ghraib prison. Affirming summary judgment, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals held that statements were either not made with actual malice, based on findings of military investigations and news accounts, or were nonactionable hyperbole.
Col. Adams v. Discovery Communications, LLC, et al.
Discovery Communications, LLC, Warner Bros.
2008
2nd Circuit affirmed dismissal of copyright infringement claim arising out of the movie “Polar Express” and cable program “Extreme Engineering.”
DMBJ v. TMZ
Warner Bros Entertainment, TMZ
2009
Obtained dismissal of copyright infringement claim by paparazzo for use of celebrity clip.
The Humane Society of the United States v. Amazon.com, et al.
Amazon.com, Inc.
2009
Represented Amazon.com in a lawsuit brought by the Humane Society of the United States regarding sale of subscriptions to gamecock magazines. Voluntary dismissal.
Stern v. New York Daily News L.P., et al.
New York Daily News
2008
Obtained dismissal of complaint arising out of allegations that the plaintiff, a gossip reporter, asked for payment in exchange for protection from negative stories. Motion to dismiss granted.
Hatfill v. Mukasey, et al.
Coalition of media organizations
2008
Represented coalition of media organizations as amici in support of a reporter facing contempt sanctions in a Privacy Act suit for refusing to reveal confidential sources related to the investigation of the 2001 anthrax attacks. Filed two amicus briefs in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Appeal dismissed as moot.
Moore v. Discovery Communications, LLC
Discovery Communications
2008
Defended Discovery Communications in suit seeking to prevent showing of award-winning documentary "Man on Wire" at Tribeca Film Festival, on the grounds of use of unlicensed photographs. TRO denied; case settled.
Interphase Garment v. Fox Television Stations
Fox News Stations
2008
Obtained dismissal of claims for defamation, interference with contract, emotional distress, and invasion of privacy arising from local Fox affiliate’s coverage of plaintiff’s failure to deliver school uniforms on time. Established Maryland precedent regarding statute of limitations as applied to mass media.
Bank Julius Baer v. Wikileaks.org
Coalition of media organizations
2008
Represented amici to successfully oppose and vacate a prior restraint order issued by a federal court against Wikileaks.org after confidential Swiss banking records were posted to this whistleblower Web site.
United States v. U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
Coalition of media organizations
2008
Represented amici on appeal in support of access to sensitive government information presented at sentencing hearing; affirmed by 9th Circuit.
In re Grand Jury Subpoena Dated August 7, 2006
Amazon.com, Inc.
2007
Successfully represented online bookseller in asserting First Amendment rights and opposing grand jury subpoena seeking records of customer purchases of expressive material.
Wong v. Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster
2007
Defeated injunction against book publisher in copyright infringement action.
Massey Coal v. United Mine Workers of America, et al.
United Mine Workers of America
2007
Obtained dismissal of libel action brought by a coal mining company and its president against union; appeal denied.
ConnectU, Inc. v. Facebook, Inc.
Vintage Media, LLC
2007
Facebook sought to force the magazine 02138 to remove sealed documents about its founder, Mark Zuckerberg, from the magazine’s Web site. Successful defense by attorneys from Davis Wright Tremaine led a federal judge to reject the company’s request for a court order to take down the material.
Flowers v. Carville, et al.
Little Brown, George Stephanopoulos
2006
Represented commentator and former Clinton staffer George Stephanopoulos in combating defamation claim brought by Gennifer Flowers. Successfully convinced 9th Circuit that Stephanopoulos' comments in his book and during interviews were opinion or made without malice, based on accurate accounts of the 1992 presidential campaign.
Rubin v. U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
2001
Obtained dismissal, affirmed in 11th Circuit, of libel by implication case for national newsweekly.
Bachchan v. India Abroad
India Abroad
1992
Established first precedents in federal and state courts refusing to enforce British libel judgments as repugnant to U.S. public policy.
Matusevitch v. Telnikoff
Coalition of media organizations
1997
Established first precedents in federal and state courts refusing to enforce British libel judgments as repugnant to U.S. public policy.
Hampton v. Guare
John Guare, MGM, Random House
1993
Successfully defended author, movie studio and publisher in commercial misappropriation claim arising from dramatization of plaintiff's exploits in the satiric play "Six Degrees of Separation." Established that satire and fiction does not constitute advertising or trade.
Finger v. Omni Publications International Ltd.
Omni Publications
1990
Successfully defended magazine for stock use of photo of family to illustrate story on in vitro fertilization. New York’s highest court affirmed dismissal of commercial misappropriation claim, establishing editorial deference to choice of how to illustrate newsworthy material.