We protect our clients’ reputations by preventing harmful statements from being published, or forcing publishers to retract, apologize and pay damages.
We litigate cases to trial and on appeal, specializing in business, media, defamation, privacy, entertainment and intellectual property cases.
“One of the most feared libel lawyers in America”
The “go-to lawyer” for a “violation of a famous person’s rights”
“If you’re looking for a lawyer to bring a publication to its knees, Harder’s the leader in the clubhouse.”
“The highest-profile media lawyer in America”
(Los Angeles Magazine) - Jordon Hudson has filed a 20-page civil lawsuit against the owners of a Massachusetts Airbnb where she stayed with the former New England Patriots coach in June 2023. Hudson claims the home owners violated her privacy by sharing Ring doorbell footage.
(The Press-Enterprise) - Former California Secretary of Education David Long is seeking a court order to unseal records from a state audit..., alleging Riverside County education officials suppressed records and sought to blame him for suspected misconduct.
(Florida Court of Appeal) - We dismiss Univision’s appeal for lack of jurisdiction and deny Univision’s petitions for extraordinary relief because ... the trial court did not depart from the essential requirements of law and had no ... duty to adjudicate, rather than strike, Univision’s [Anti-SLAPP Motion].
(Prof. Eugune Volokh) - [Plaintiff] is represented by Ryan Stonerock, Steven Frackman, and Dilan Esper (Harder Stonerock LLP). The firm is a prominent libel law firm, and the one lawyer of the three whom I know in some measure, Dilan Esper, is a serious lawyer.
(Courthouse News) - A longtime San Francisco dermatologist and professor at [UCSF] is fighting back against accusations he conducted unethical prison research experiments in the 1960s and 1970s, claiming the university “knowingly and maliciously” lied about his role in the studies.
(San Francisco Superior Court) - After prevailing against the University of California under the California Public Records Act, Harder Stonerock’s client has been awarded $779,227.20 in attorneys’ fees and $25,122.03 in costs, in what is believed to be the largest ever award of its kind.
(American Bankruptcy Institute) - [De Los Rios] had worked almost two years as an au pair for the debtor. Discovering a hidden camera in her room, she notified police. The debtor pled guilty to a felony. The creditor sued in state court, but the debtor’s chapter 7 filing halted the lawsuit before judgment.
(Daily Journal) - Judges have increasingly reprimanded attorneys for citing fictional cases in briefs generated by artificial intelligence (AI). In these situations, everyone agrees that attorneys should be held accountable. But what happens when AI technology generates false content that defames you.
(Sportico) - Ellis, who now serves as chief football officer of FIFA, sued...for defamation and intentional interference with contractual relations. The two-time World Cup winner as coach of the United States Women’s National Team is represented by Ryan Stonerock [and] Lan Vu...from Harder Stonerock.
(Supreme Court of Florida) - Dilan Esper and Lan Vu of Harder Stonerock successfully argued that the Florida Supreme Court should not hear Univision's appeal of the denial of its anti-SLAPP motion against Pastor Luna, thereby sending the case back to the trial court.
(Bloomberg Law) - Goya Foods Inc. was sued by its former president, who says he was ousted from his position through a defamation campaign and wrongly denied deferred compensation. Robert Unanue accuses Goya and one of its executives of orchestrating his termination and refusing to pay...
(Reuters) - A federal judge in California has found law firm Latham & Watkins in civil contempt for “flagrant violations” of a protective order shielding discovery produced by short seller Muddy Waters in a securities class action against Banc of California.
(Bloomberg Law) - Winklevosses Get Court Win on 'Shakedown' by Ex-Business Partner. The billionaire Winklevoss twins prevailed in court against a former business partner who allegedly looted a magazine venture and then tried to pressure them into a buyout.
(Decrypt) - Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has sued Forbes and two writers for publishing a story last month that it calls defamatory. It is seeking compensatory and punitive damages as well as the removal of the article.
(Business Wire) - BYD, Build Your Dreams, announced today it has filed a defamation lawsuit in the U.S. District Court, Washington, D.C. against the Washington, D.C.-based lobbyist group Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM).
(Politico) - The adult-film actress Stormy Daniels’ libel suit against President Donald Trump was thrown out Monday by a federal judge, who also ordered Daniels to pay Trump’s legal fees in the case.
(USA Today) - Trump's California lawyer, Charles Harder, emailed a statement on her behalf praising the settlement, saying the Daily Mail issued a "full and complete retraction and apology for its false statements about her, and agreed to pay her million of dollars in damages..."
(The Hollywood Reporter) - Fresh from a $140 million verdict, the wrestler’s lead attorney Charles Harder reveals his winning strategy, the mistakes Nick Denton made and the crazy backstory behind a surreal (and influential) trial.