John J. Walsh, Senior Counsel - Carter Ledyard & Milburn LLP Attorney

Practice Area

Practice Description

Media and First Amendment Law counseling and litigation, including libel, privacy, and commercial speech issues. Commercial litigation.

Education

B.B.A., 1952 Fairfield University
J.D., 1958 Boston College Law School (Order of the Coif)

Admissions

1958 Connecticut
1960 New York
1973 U.S. Supreme Court

Affiliations

The American Bar Association
The New York State Bar Association
The Association of the Bar of the City of New York
The Federal Bar Council
The American Judicature Society

Publications Available on this website...

"The Myth of 'Libel Tourism'," New York Law Journal, November 20, 2007; "Free Speech Rights Trump Goals of Anti-Alcohol Activists," Legal Backgrounder, March 14, 2003; "Supreme Court Should Expand Commercial Speech Protection," Legal Backgrounder, September 8, 2000

Additional Publications

“Fighting False Allegations,” General Counsel Magazine, March 14, 2005; “State High Court Silences Business’ Free Speech,” Washington Legal Foundation, July 12, 2002; “Does Supreme Court’s Ruling In Erie Dance Case Pose Threat to Commercial Speech Protection?,” Commercial Speech Digest, Spring 2000

Presentations

Mr. Walsh has participated frequently on First Amendment panel discussions, workshops, and television programs.

Significant Cases

William P. Tavoulareas v. Washington Post Company, et al	Attorney for plaintiffs in jury trial. Action for libel by plaintiff against the publisher, editors and reporters of the Washington Post based on two articles published on November 30 and December 1, 1979. It has become one of the leading cases in U.S. libel law. $2,205,000 jury verdict.
Hammer DeRoburt v. Gannett Company, Inc. et al	Attorney for plaintiff in jury trial. Action for libel against major newspaper organization and subsidiary which published the Pacific Daily News in the Commonwealth of Guam.
Prozeralik v. Capital Cities/ABC	Argued in the New York Court of Appeals on behalf of plaintiff appellee in October 1993 when Capital Cities/ABC appealed the initial $15,000,000 verdict against it, upheld by the Appellate Division, 4th Department. Obtained key "actual malice" ruling which led to successful retrial and ultimate $11,000,000 verdict for plaintiff.
Slattery v. Morrison-Knudsen	Completed nine week bench trial representing defendant counterclaimant in a dispute between joint venture partners over performance of a $50,000,000 contract for the reconstruction of a portion of the Schuylkill Expressway in Philadelphia. $12,000,000 judgment for defendant counterclaimant.
Murray Drabkin, Trusteev. Alexander Grant	Attorney for plaintiff in action by Bankruptcy Trustee against a national firm of certified public accountants for professional malpractice, breach of contract and fraud in audits of public company for years, 1977, 1978, 1979, and 1980. $11,000,000 jury verdict for plaintiff.