Covington’s media and content lawyers work closely with the firm’s nationally recognized litigation practice to provide an integrated and efficient approach to litigating matters for our media and communications clients. Because our media lawyers collaborate with top trial and appellate lawyers from our expansive litigation practice, our clients can be assured that their interests are being zealously guarded by lawyers who understand the business and policy implications of any case.
Our media and communications litigation practice reflects the breadth of our communications regulatory and media content expertise, as well as the international reach of our firm.
- We litigate cases in federal and state courts throughout the United States. In addition, we work closely with the litigation and arbitration counsel in our London and Brussels offices to provide representation in the English courts, in arbitration proceedings globally, and before tribunals such as the European Court of Human Rights, the International Court of Justice, and United Nations special tribunals for war crimes.
- We have represented the telecommunications industry in a series of groundbreaking cases covering a range of key issues in wireless communications.
- We have represented technology and Internet companies in a variety of litigation matters, including challenges to agency authority to regulate new technologies.
- We have litigated First Amendment and libel cases nationwide.
- We have successfully quashed subpoenas seeking reporters’ testimony.
- We provide pre-publication content advice to television broadcasters across the United States, enabling our clients to tell the full story while minimizing litigation risk.
- We have represented advertisers, publishers, and broadcasters in litigation involving commercial speech matters, claims of unfair advertising under the Lanham Act, and trademark claims.
Representative Matters
- Represented Universal Studios in obtaining the dismissal of a high-profile negligence action brought by a Maury Show guest in New York state court.
- Represented Raycom Media in obtaining a favorable settlement of a lawsuit brought against the City of Cleveland when the mayor issued a formal edict barring all city officials from speaking with WOIO-TV, a Raycom-owned CBS affiliate, after the station aired a documentary critical of the mayor.
- Represented the Association of Public Television Stations before the D.C. Circuit, in successfully defending an FCC order providing that public television stations may use their surplus digital capacity for commercial purposes, including non-broadcast advertisements.
- Represented the NBC, CBS, and ABC television affiliates before the D.C. Circuit in a challenge to the validity of FCC restrictions on television network ownership of stations affiliated with the network, and on common ownership of cable systems and television stations.
- Represented Rosie O’Donnell and her company, Lucky Charms Inc., in a federal trademark action against a Portland, Oregon radio station that adopted the mark “Rosie” and a logo that was very similar to Rosie O'Donnell's. As a result of the settlement, the radio station stopped using "Rosie" and the logo.
- Represented the National Football League in a copyright infringement action against a satellite carrier, successfully obtaining statutory damages and a permanent injunction prohibiting satellite retransmission of game telecasts originating in the United States to locations outside the United States.
Accolades
- Robert Long (Appellate Law, Administrative Law), Jonathan Blake (Communications Law), and Laurence Silverman (Entertainment Law) recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (2007).
- Jonathan Blake (Regulatory Communications) recognized in International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers (2005-2006).
- Robert Long (Litigation/Appellate), Stephen Weisswasser (Media & Entertainment), and Jonathan Blake, William Fitz, and Eric Greenberg (Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite/Regulatory) recognized in Chambers USA’s America’s Leading Business Lawyers (2006-2007).
|
|