Writing for the New York Law Journal, Alan S. Lewis and Madelyn K. White examine how New York’s amended Anti-SLAPP Act, originally intended to deter frivolous lawsuits, has instead created significant barriers for individuals bringing good-faith defamation claims. The authors analyze how heightened fault standards, automatic discovery stays, mandatory fee-shifting, and an expanded definition of public interest can chill the First Amendment right to petition the courts, often favoring well-resourced institutional defendants over private plaintiffs.
