Chicago Business Litigation Lawyer Blog
A federal District Court recently dismissed the defamation claims filed by embattled attorney Michael Avenatti against Fox News and several of its anchors. In its decision, the District Court found that Avenatti’s claims failed to overcome the high hurdle to sustaining defamation claims against a media defendant. In the Court’s opinion, it ruled that the case fell squarely into the longstanding rule that “news outlets are not liable for minor mistakes, especially when reporting on public figures and matters of public concern.”
Avenatti garnered the national spotlight in early 2018 when he represented the adult film actress, Stormy Daniels, who sought to invalidate a non-disclosure agreement regarding her alleged sexual relationship with Trump. Following the filing of these suits, Avenatti became a vocal critic of former President Trump regularly appearing on cable news to criticize Trump and bring attention to Daniels’ suit against the former president. Avenatti’s public image rapidly eroded in late 2018, when news outlets widely reported that he had been arrested in Los Angeles for suspected domestic violence. Though Avenatti’s bail was set, prosecutors never formally charged him. Continue reading ›