Practice Areas

• Practice Areas • Practices • Defamation (Libel and Slander)

Reputations are everything. But what if yours is harmed or someone accuses you of harming theirs?

Our lawyers have both successfully defended and pursued defamation claims.

"Defamation" ("slander" if it's oral and "libel" if it's in writing) is defined as a false statement of fact that causes harm to a person’s reputation; exposes that person to public hatred, contempt, ridicule, shame, or disgrace; or affects that person adversely in his trade or business.

Harsh statements of opinion are not defamation. it must be a false statement of fact. This fact/opinion distinction is key, and courts use it to throw cases out.

The statute of limitations for defamation in Ohio is only one year, so if you have been defamed, you must act quickly. But before you call a lawyer, be prepared to explain, and if possible quantify, how you have been harmed. Have you measurably lost business as a result of defamation? And is the person who defamed you even monetarily collectible? Is it worth spending time and money to pursue that person in court?

Recent successes and experiences by our firm's lawyers in defamation (slander and libel) cases include

• Working with co-counsel, a federal libel lawsuit resulting in a $4.1 million-dollar judgment against a white-supremacist website, on behalf of the nationally known comedian and commentator Dean Obeidallah. The website had committed libel by falsifying tweets against the commentator to claim that he is a terrorist.
  
  
• A complete defense jury verdict following a three-week trial for an entrepreneur sued by a police officer for defamation. The entrepreneur had complained about harassment by the officer.
  
  
• A $550,000 settlement to a former Mahoning County, Ohio assistant prosecutor who was defamed by the elected county prosecutor in retaliation for reporting misconduct in the office.

Contact The Chandra Law Firm LLC for help

If you are a victim of defamation and can persuasively address the issues above, then you may reach our firm, which serves clients throughout Ohio and the nation, by calling 216-578-1700 or (better yet) by filling out our online contact form.