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MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS

 KEY PRACTICES

  Aerospace, Defense
  & Government Services

  Compensation & Benefits

  Competition and Antitrust

  Construction Law

  Corporate & Securities

  Creditors' Rights, Bankruptcy
  & Restructuring

  Education

  Environmental

  Estate Planning & Wealth   Preservation

  Foundations, Non-Profits
  and Exempt Organizations

  Healthcare

  Intellectual Property

  International and
  Cross-Border Business

  Labor & Employment

  Lending & Financial   Institutions

  Litigation

  Media & Communications

  Mergers & Acquisitions

  Real Estate

  Tax

  Transportation & Logistics

In the desert Southwest, ScottHulse is synonymous with preeminence in the media law field. We have represented the El Paso Times for more than a half-century, successfully defending every claim for defamation and privacy invasion asserted against it over that time, as well as successfully defending antitrust and other commercial allegations related to circulation, pricing, advertising and employment issues. Our media clients have included Newsweek, Gannett, the Associated Press, Hearst and Conde Nast publications, Regent Broadcasting and regional affiliates of NBC, CBS, ABC, Univision and Communications Corporation of America.

In addition, Mr. Richard Munzinger, chairman of the ScottHulse Media Law Section, serves on the State Bar of Texas Pattern Jury Charge Committee, which recently announced the publication of the first defamation pattern jury charges for Texas state courts prepared by the State Bar. Mr. Munzinger presented the Committee's work at the 2008 Page Keeton Civil Litigation Conference sponsored by the University of Texas School of Law.


REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
  • Trexler v. El Paso Times: successful trial and appellate defense of a university professor's defamation claim arising from publication of a letter to the editor accusing him of treason. See El Paso Times, Inc. v. Trexler, 447 S.W. 2d 403 (Tex. 1969).
  • Vandenburg v. Newsweek: successful trial and appellate defense of the magazine's report concerning the popular UTEP track coach's alleged treatment of black athletes. See Vandenburg v. Newsweek, Inc., 507 F.2d 1024 (5th Cir. 1975); Vandenburg v. Newsweek, Inc., 441 F.2d 378 (5th Cir. 1971), cert. denied, 404 U.S. 864 (1971).
  • Foster v. Upchurch: successful defense of El Paso Times in a suit brought by a Sheriff wrongly identified as the killer of a prisoner in his jail. See Foster v. Upchurch, 624 S.W. 2d 564 (Tex. 1981).
  • United States v. Harrelson: partially successful appeal of trial court order denying media right to interview jurors following conviction for crimes related to the assassination of United States District Judge John H. Wood, Jr. See United States v. Harrelson, 713 F.2d 1114 (5th Cir. 1983).
  • Marks v. Conde Nast Publications, Inc.: defense of claim of implied defamation arising from alleged improper juxtaposition of plaintiff's photograph with allegedly defamatory text.
  • Salazar & Foster v. El Paso Times: successful jury trial defense of defamation claims by former mayor and his friend and supporter arising from publications relating to investigation of controversial relocation of City Hall and land acquisition by mayor's supporter.
  • Kerr v. El Paso Times: successful assertion of opinion defense following trial of a pre-Milkovich case brought by a federal prosecutor accused of misconduct in a drug prosecution. See El Paso Times, Inc. v. Kerr, 706 S.W. 2d 797 (Tex. App. - El Paso 1998, writ denied).
  • Meca Homes v. KTSM - TV: successful jury trial defense of television broadcasts reporting on collapse of mountain-side retaining wall installed by prominent contractor. See TSM AM-FM TV v. Meca Homes, Inc. 969 S.W.2d 448 (Tex. App. - El Paso 1998, pet. denied).

KEY CONTACTS

Richard G. Munzinger

G. Russell Hill

Henry J. Paoli




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