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, Atlantic Media Company, Center for American Progress, 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, Warner Brothers and Yale Alumni Magazine.
Laura is a member of the firm's executive committee.
Selected Experience
Florida Medical Association, Inc. v. Department of Health, Education and Welfare
Represents the publisher of The Wall Street Journal in an effort to overturn a decades-old injunction. The injunction, obtained by the American Medical Association and others in 1979, blocks public access to records containing evidence of Medicare fraud and the doctors behind it. Read the details here. (Ongoing)
Mar-Jac Poultry v. Katz, et al., Unus v. Katz, et al.
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, summary judgment granted in the other, and constitutional tort action dismissed and affirmed by the Fourth Circuit (2009). (Ongoing)
Martin v. New York Daily News, L.P.
Defending daily newspaper in libel action brought by a sitting judge. (Ongoing)
Epstein v. Edwards
Successfully moved to quash non-party state subpoena to newspaper for interview of defendant in civil suit for sexual abuse. (2011)
Peppe v. Random House
Defending commercial misappropriation claims brought by former CIA agent. (Ongoing)
Amazon.com v. Kenneth Lay, Secretary, North Carolina’s Department of Revenue
Obtained declaratory judgment that North Carolina’s request for information about customers’ choices of expressive material violates the First Amendment and the Video Privacy Protection Act. (2010)
Young v. Suffolk County, et. al.
Obtained dismissal of constitutional tort claim alleging a ride-along with law enforcement into plaintiff’s home. (2010)
In re Grand Jury
Quashed grand jury subpoena to newspaper for IP addresses of anonymous bloggers. (2010)
NBAA v. FAA
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. (2010)
CACI International v. Randi Rhodes and Piquant, LLC (Air America Radio)
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. (2008)
Col. Adams v. Discovery Communications, LLC, et al.
2nd Circuit affirmed dismissal of copyright infringement claim arising out of the movie “Polar Express” and cable program “Extreme Engineering.” (2008)
DMBJ v. TMZ
Obtained dismissal of copyright infringement claim by paparazzo for use of celebrity clip. (2009)
The Humane Society of the United States v. Amazon.com, et al.
Represented Amazon.com in a lawsuit brought by the Humane Society of the United States regarding sale of subscriptions to gamecock magazines. Voluntary dismissal. (2009)
Stern v. New York Daily News L.P., et al.
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. (2008)
Hatfill v. Mukasey, et al.
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. (2008)
Moore v. Discovery Communications, LLC
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. (2008)
Interphase Garment v. Fox Television Stations
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. (2008)
Bank Julius Baer v. Wikileaks.org
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 website. (2008)
United States v. U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
Represented amici on appeal in support of access to sensitive government information presented at sentencing hearing; affirmed by 9th Circuit. (2008)
In re Grand Jury Subpoena Dated August 7, 2006
Successfully represented online bookseller in asserting First Amendment rights and opposing grand jury subpoena seeking records of customer purchases of expressive material. (2007)
Wong v. Simon & Schuster
Defeated injunction against book publisher in copyright infringement action. (2007)
Massey Coal v. United Mine Workers of America, et al.
Obtained dismissal of libel action brought by a coal mining company and its president against union; appeal denied.(2007)
ConnectU, Inc. v. Facebook, Inc.
Facebook sought to force the magazine 02138 to remove sealed documents about its founder, Mark Zuckerberg, from the magazine’s website. 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. (2007)
Flowers v. Carville, et al.
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. (2006)
Rubin v. U.S. News & World Report
Obtained dismissal, affirmed in 11th Circuit, of libel by implication case for national newsweekly. (2001)
Bachchan v. India Abroad
Established first precedents in federal and state courts refusing to enforce British libel judgments as repugnant to U.S. public policy. (1992)
Matusevitch v. Telnikoff
Established first precedents in federal and state courts refusing to enforce British libel judgments as repugnant to U.S. public policy. (1997)
Hampton v. Guare
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. (1993)
Finger v. Omni Publications International Ltd.
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. (1990)