The Internet has afforded the world a previously unimagined source of information and freedom of expression.  But with this new media came the ability for anyone to attack others with instant global distribution.  Before the Internet, a person's efforts to defame another were limited to their own social network.  Now, at no cost, anyone can go onto the Internet and publish their defamation.  Businesses, organizations and individuals suffer attacks on their reputation and good will, often from anonymous posters, or those claiming to be someone they are not.

Aaron Morris, a partner with Morris & Stone, is known world-wide as an expert in fighting defamation on and off the Internet.  He currently represents clients from such far flung locales as Bangladesh, Guernsey, India and China.  He provides exceptional legal representation to businesses and individuals on matters related to Defamation (libel and slander) (sometimes referred to as "defamation of character"), trade libel, and false light invasion of privacy. 

Nothing is more valuable than your reputation.  You should never allow a defamatory statement to go unchallenged.  Silence is perceived as acceptance.  If you do nothing about what is being said about you, it will be perceived as true.  The goal in a defamation action can be to recover damages, but often that is not the primary goal.  The priceless value of a defamation action is to gain back your reputation.  

Stopping the defamation and restoring your good name takes a skilled approach.  The technique utilized usually depends on what is motivating the person making the defamatory statements.  If the person has no serious grudge against you, then a cease and desist letter from Morris & Stone will probably stop the behavior and get the statements removed from the Internet.  On the other hand, if the person is acting out of spite toward you, it may be necessary to file and serve a civil complaint.  We find that just filing and serving the complaint for defamation is often sufficient to stop the defamation.  Faced with having to defend a legal action, and knowing they cannot back up the false statements they have made, the defendant will want to settle the matter.  If that is still insufficient, we are ready to take the defendant to court to obtain both money damages and an order from the court to cease the defamation.  

Finding Anonymous Message Posters

Often our clients will not know who is posting the anonymous messages (although most of the time they have a strong suspicion).  Aaron Morris and Morris & Stone know how to find out that information.  We can file the complaint even before knowing the name of the defendant, and then use the court's subpoena powers to get the information we need.  The Statute of Limitation for defamation is just one year, so it is important to file the complaint before the deadline, even if the identity of the perpetrator is still unknown.

What exactly is defamation?  Do I have a case?

We're happy to answer your questions by phone, or you can submit them by email.  However, if you'd prefer to do a little research on your own before contacting an attorney, be sure to read our article entitled, What is defamation?  We have also posted the relevant defamation statutes, including California Civil Code section 47 which is the most important of the statutes since it dictates when speech that would otherwise be defamatory is protected and renders the speaker immune from liability.

Respected by the Legal Community

"Perhaps it is my age or 40+ years of experience in the law, but it is compelling to comment that the performances of both counsel in this case, in terms of dedication to the law, to their clients, and to their scholarship make me proud to again call myself a 'Lawyer.'"

-- Orange County Superior Court Judge Robert J. Polis (Ret.), commenting on the performance of counsel from Morris & Stone.