Protecting Clients’ Names, Careers, and Legacies
Reputation is one of the most valuable assets a person or business possesses. When false statements threaten a livelihood, a career, or standing within the community, the consequences can be devastating — and lasting. Whether the client is a professional facing baseless public accusations, a business targeted by a bad-faith campaign, or an individual whose character has been unfairly attacked, the damage caused by defamation demands an aggressive and strategic legal response.
At Ford O’Brien Landy LLP, we have built a reputation for protecting the reputations of others. Our attorneys have extensive experience prosecuting and defending high-stakes defamation claims on behalf of individuals and businesses, and we bring the same tenacity and creativity to these matters that has defined our work across all of our practice areas.
A Track Record in High-Profile Defamation Matters
Our firm has handled some of the most prominent defamation cases in the country. We represented Dr. William Husel in his landmark defamation action against Mount Carmel Health System, Trinity Health Corporation, and former hospital executives — a case that attracted international attention and which we took to trial in Franklin County, Ohio. Dr. Husel had been falsely accused of murdering twenty-five patients, was acquitted of all charges at criminal trial, and turned to Ford O’Brien Landy LLP to hold accountable the institutions whose actions gave rise to those devastating, and false, allegations.
We have also pursued defamation and related claims against those who use public platforms to spread false and damaging information for personal gain, including litigation against prolific short sellers whose campaigns of disinformation have caused significant harm to our clients’ businesses and reputations.
These matters reflect the kind of work we do every day — standing up for clients who have been wrongly accused, publicly maligned, or unfairly targeted.
Comprehensive Reputation Management
Defamation litigation is only one component of protecting and restoring a client’s reputation. At Ford O’Brien Landy LLP, we understand that our clients’ reputational concerns do not end when a verdict is reached or a settlement is signed. As a firm that regularly represents individuals facing allegations of wrongdoing in white collar criminal, regulatory, and civil matters, we are uniquely positioned to help our clients manage, and ultimately rehabilitate, their reputations throughout the lifecycle of a case and beyond.
Our approach to reputation management is informed by decades of experience navigating high-profile matters where public perception can be just as consequential as the legal outcome. We work closely with our clients to develop strategies that address reputational harm from every angle — legal, strategic, and practical.
How We Can Help
Our defamation and reputation management practice encompasses a broad range of matters, including:
- Defamation claims — pursuing and defending claims for libel and slander on behalf of individuals, professionals, and businesses
- Online defamation — addressing false and damaging statements published on social media, websites, message boards, and other digital platforms
- Short seller and market manipulation campaigns — combatting disinformation campaigns designed to damage businesses, manipulate stock prices, or harm executives’ reputations
- Media-related defamation — responding to false reporting and holding media organizations accountable for inaccurate and damaging coverage
- Professional reputation defense — protecting the careers and licenses of professionals, including physicians, financial professionals, and executives, against false accusations
- Pre-litigation reputation strategy — advising clients on proactive measures to protect and preserve their reputations before, during, and after legal proceedings
- Post-case reputation rehabilitation — developing and executing strategies to restore our clients’ reputations after favorable legal outcomes
The Boutique Advantage
As a boutique litigation firm, Ford O’Brien Landy LLP is able to devote its full attention and resources to each client’s case. Defamation and reputation matters are deeply personal, and they require a legal team that understands the human stakes involved — not just the legal ones.
We approach every defamation and reputation matter with the same level of sophistication, intensity, and strategic focus that has earned our firm recognition from Chambers, Lawdragon, and the clients we have been privileged to represent.