Laura Lee Prather
Biography
Laura Lee Prather is the lawyer clients hire for high-stakes defamation, First Amendment constitutional challenges, and speech-related disputes where early dismissal, statutory defenses, fee recovery, or appellate review can determine the outcome. She is a trial and appellate lawyer with more than 30 years’ experience representing news and entertainment companies and content providers in consequential First Amendment disputes throughout the country. She advises clients on content-related risks, including prepublication review, newsgathering, subpoenas, access/public records, and copyright. When her clients are sued, she excels at strategically approaching the case to obtain swift results and recovery of attorneys’ fees, appellate reversal, and mounting constitutional challenges to laws that target free speech rights. According to her clients:
“What sets Laura apart is her knowledge of the law, collaboration, the legal strategy she develops and her familiarity with courts and judges.”
Laura is a leading international practitioner on Anti-SLAPP laws and serves as the only American on the European Commission’s Expert Group Against SLAPPs. She has intimate knowledge of how these laws work – having helped to draft Anti-SLAPP laws throughout the U.S. and as an advisor to the Council of Europe. She has litigated scores of Anti-SLAPP motions and appeals at every level of the court system, testified at the state and national level for the passage of Anti-SLAPP laws, and has written four law review articles about Anti-SLAPP protections.
Recognized nationally and internationally, Laura has been ranked in Chambers USA for First Amendment Litigation (Nationwide) since 2017, currently listed as Band 1 and received the inaugural American Lawyer’s Tony Mauro Media Lawyer of the Year Award (2019 for her work advocating for and strengthening First Amendment Rights. Chambers USA (2026) reports that clients have said:
“Laura’s legislative efforts are incredible. She builds coalitions, keeps everyone in the loop and does an excellent job of ensuring there is a tactic to oppose bills that may harm the media.”
Whether in the courtroom or at the statehouse, Laura’s dedication to her clients is demonstrated by her unique 360 degree approach to client services: through pre-publication review advising clients before they publish, defending speakers in court, and working to get laws passed protecting free speech rights when a systemic change is needed.
As a board certified Civil Appellate lawyer, a designation less than 1/3 of 1% of peers have attained, Laura has handled appeals in all 15 Texas courts of appeals, the Texas Supreme Court, the Arizona Supreme Court, multiple federal circuits, all Texas federal district courts and state and federal courts in more than a dozen jurisdictions.
In a 2024 Texas Lawbook profile, a long-time client observed about Prather, she is “so diligent and attentive to the work, always up to speed on the latest developments in the law and has very sound and reasonable judgment.” About her legislative work, an industry colleague added, “She does the work, she’s very relentless, and when you come down to the crunch moment late in the game at the Texas Capitol, all that work pays off.”
Laura’s commitment to protecting free speech rights extends beyond her legal practice. She was selected as a Fulbright Scholar to study freedom of expression protections in the United States and the European Union, work that helped launch the First Amendment Watch SLAPPBack Initiative – the first national tracker of SLAPP suits – where serves on the Advisory Board. She has also brought global attention to the threat posed by strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) through her TEDx Talk, “How Legal Bullying Works – and How to Protect Yourself,” which was selected as an Editor’s Pick, an honor awarded to a fewer than 1% of TEDx Talks worldwide.
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Constitutional Challenges
- Book People, Inc. v. Wong (5th Cir. 2024; W.D. Tex. 2025) – Secured injunctive relief and successfully challenged the constitutionality of Texas’s book-rating statute (HB 900), including a permanent injunction and attorneys’ fees.
- CCIA v. Paxton (W.D. Tex. 2025) – Obtained preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of app-store regulation on First Amendment grounds.
First Amendment / Anti-SLAPP / Reporter’s Privilege
- Klayman v. CNN (11th Cir. 2023) – Secured dismissal at pleadings stage, affirmed on appeal.
- Harris v. Warner (Ariz. 2023) – Obtained dismissal of defamation claims before the Arizona Supreme Court based on First Amendment protections through permissive review process.
- Mitchell v. Big Fish Entertainment (W.D. Tex. 2023) – Obtained dismissal of claims arising from televised reporting.
- Parker v. Spotify USA, Inc. (W.D. Tex. 2021) – Achieved dismissal of defamation and related claims at the pleading stage.
- Williams v. Cordillera Communications, Inc. (S.D. Tex. 2014) – First application of Texas Anti-SLAPP law in federal court.
- Darrigan v. The American Prospect (Tex. App. – Ft. Worth, 2025) – Obtained dismissal under the Texas Citizens Participation Act with sanctions and attorneys’ fees affirmed on appeal.
- ProPublica v. Frazier (Tex. App.—Houston, 2024) – Secured multiple appellate reversals, establishing that investigative reporting was substantially true, protected by privilege, and entitled to attorneys’ fees.
- Moore v. Dallas Morning News (Tex. App. – Dallas, 2024) – Achieved affirmance of dismissal of defamation claims under Texas Citizens Participation Act and Rule 91a.
- Lowry v. Fox Television Stations (Tex. App. – Houston, 2022) – Upheld TCPA dismissal where reporting was found substantially true.
- KHOU v. Status Lounge (Tex. App. – Houston, 2021) – Reversed denial of TCPA dismissal and confirmed protection for reporting based on official records.
- Broder v. Nexstar Media Inc. (Tex. App. – Austin, 2021) – Secured TCPA dismissal and award of attorneys’ fees and defeated subsequent attempts to reopen the case.
- Burns v. CBS Stations Group of Texas (Tex. App. – Dallas, 2020) – Reversed denial of TCPA dismissal involving reliance on erroneous law enforcement information.
- Kirkstall Road Enterprises, Inc. v. Jones (Tex. App. –Dallas, 2017) – affirmed summary judgment on negligent publishing claim arising out of blurred image on “The First 48.”
- Hearst Newspapers, LLC v. Status Lounge, Inc. (Tex. App. – Houston, 2017) – matter of first impression applying abatement period under Texas Defamation Mitigation Act.
- Entravision Communications Corp. v. Salinas (Tex. App. – Corpus Christi/Edinburg 2016) – reversed denial of TCPA motion.
- Head v. Chicory Media, LLC (Tex. App. – Texarkana 2013) – affirmed TCPA dismissal for claims arising out of show “16 and Pregnant.”
- Darby v. New York Times Co. (Tex. App. – Amarillo, 2014) – Secured affirmance of summary judgment in defamation litigation.
- KTRK Television v. Robinson (Tex. App. – Houston, 2013) – Secured dismissal under the TCPA and recovery of attorneys’ fees.
- In re Rabb (Tex. App. – Dallas 2009) – Addressing retroactivity of Texas reporter’s privilege.
Access to Information / Public Records
- Uvalde CISD v. Texas Tribune (Tex. App. 2025) – Obtained appellate order requiring disclosure of records related to the Uvalde school shooting.
- 8Fig v. Stepup Funny (5th Cir. 2025) – Secured unsealing of court records through media intervention.
- In re: BP Products North America, Inc. (Tex. App. 2006) – Mandamus involving courtroom media rules.
Copyright / Trademark
- Dow Jones & Co. v. Harris (W.D. Tex. 2024) – Obtained judgment in copyright infringement and breach-of-contract case involving large-scale unauthorized distribution of news content.
- Rosenfeld v. Twentieth Century Fox Film (C.D. Cal. 2009) – Obtained dismissal in copyright infringement case involving copyright infringement claim arising from Robots film.
Jurisdictional Challenges
- Jed Wallace v. Blake Lively (W.D. Tex. 2025) – Secured dismissal of defamation claims for lack of personal jurisdiction.
- Shroyer v. Media Matters (W.D. Tex. 2025) – Obtained dismissal on pleadings of defamation claims arising from online article on personal jurisdiction grounds.
- Nunes v. NBCUniversal Media (E.D. Tex. 2022) – Obtained transfer of improperly filed defamation action.
- Kuykendall v. Amazon Studios (S.D. Tex. 2022) – Secured transfer of claims arising out of show “The Last Narc,” followed by dismissal after Anti-SLAPP proceedings.
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- Member, European Commission Expert Working Group Against SLAPPs (2026 – present)
- National Chair, American Bar Association Forum on Communications Law (2024–present)
- Faculty Member, Communications Law in the Digital Age annual conference, hosted by the Practising Law Institute (2022, 2024, 2025, 2026)
- Board of Directors, Fulbright Austin Alumni Association (2026 – present)
- Treasurer, International Bar Association North American Regional Forum (2026 – present)
- Treasurer, International Bar Association Media Law Committee (2026 – present)
- Legal Advisory Board, International Center for Journalists (2024 -present)
- National Co-Chair, Media Law Resource Center Anti-SLAPP Committee (2012–present)
- Advisory Board Member, First Amendment Watch SLAPPBack Initiative
- Member, Uniform Law Commission Enactment Committee (UPEPA) (2020-present)
- ABA Advisor, Uniform Law Commission Drafting Committee for Model Anti-SLAPP Law (UPEPA) (2018-2020)
- Board of Directors, Public Participation Project
- General Counsel, Texas Press Association Legislative Affairs Committee
- Board of Directors; Legislative Committee Co-Chair; Former President, Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas
- Member, State Bar of Texas Pro Bono College
- Founding Chair, Media Law Resource Center State Legislative Committee
- Past President, Media Law Resource Center Defense Counsel Section
- Former Co-chair, ABA Women in Communications Law Committee
- Former Co-Chair, ABA First Amendment and Media Litigation Committee
- Board Member (ex officio), Texas Association of Broadcasters
- Adjunct Professor, University of Texas School of Law, 2006-2011
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- Chambers USA, First Amendment Litigation (Nationwide), Currently Band 1, 2017–2026
- The American Lawyer, Tony Mauro Media Lawyer Award, 2019
- Fulbright Scholar, 2022–2023
- BTI Client Service All-Star (BTI Consulting Group), 2011
- National Law Journal, First Amendment Rights Trailblazers, 2020
- Best Lawyers, Lawyer of the Year, 2020, 2023–2024
- Best Lawyers in America (First Amendment Litigation; Media Law), 2019 - present
- Extraordinary Women in Texas Law, Texas Lawyer, 2008
- Texas Super Lawyers, 2003, 2016-2025
- Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
- Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™
- Open Government Hall of Fame, National Freedom of Information Coalition, 2019
- Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, James Madison Award, 2018
- Society of Professional Journalists, Fellows of the Society Award, 2016
- Legacy Award, Texas Daily Newspaper Association, 2010
- President’s Award, Texas Association of Broadcasters, 2005
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Speaking Engagements
Podcasts/TV and Radio Appearances
- “How Legal Bullying Works – and How to Protect Yourself” speaker, TEDx Talk, Editor’s Pick, January 24, 2026.
- “Why Texas Could Make It Easier To Sue You for What You Say,” guest, WFAA Y'all-itics, April 2025.
- “Texas Keeps Child Abuse and Neglect Deaths Out of Sight, Bringing Light Proves Complex and Costly,” Texas Public Radio, April 2025.
- “The $300 Million Lawsuit That Could Crush Dissent,” guest, Climate One, February 2025.
- “Brett Cross Releases Documentary on Uvalde School Shooting Response in Push for Transparency,” guest, KSAT-TV, February 2025.
- “Freedom in the U.S.: Can It Be Measured?,” speaker, KERA Perspectives Matter, 2025.
- “We the Texans: Public Access to Government,” The Texas Tribune, Austin, June 2024.
- “Attorney fighting to make officials reveal evidence of Uvalde shooting,” guest, WFAA Y'all-itics, June 2024.
- “Uvalde Victims May Lose Right to Sue Texas,” guest, WFAA Y’all-itics, January 2024.
Conferences and Seminar Speaking Engagements
- “The Uniform Public Expression Protection Act and Anti-SLAPP Practice from Start to Finish,” Federal Bar Association CLE Webinar (2026).
- “Anti-SLAPP Laws 101,” webinar, American Bar Association (2026).
- “Silencing the news: the use of SLAPPs worldwide and how to tackle them,” International Bar Association Annual Conference, Toronto (2025).
- International Anti-SLAPP Panel, Media Law Resource Center Conference, London (2023, 2024, 2026).
- “Defamation and Related Claims: Current Issues for Media Lawyers,” Practising Law Institute, New York (2022, 2024-2026).
- “FOI and the 2025 Texas Legislature,” Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas (2024).
- Anti-SLAPP Litigation and Legislation Panel, Media Law Conference, Virginia (2021, 2023 2025).
- “Implementation of Legal Measures to Address SLAPPs Around the World,” UK Anti-SLAPP Conference (2023).
- “Anti-SLAPP Across the USA,” Beverly Hills Bar Association Webinar (2022).
- “GC Jitters: What is Keeping Your Global Client Up in 2021?” International Bar Association Global Showcase, Paris (2021).
- “The Uniform Public Expression Protection Act,” Uniform Law Commission Webinar (2021).
- “Hot Issues in Anti-SLAPP and Other Legislation,” ABA Forum on Communications Law (2015-2017, 2020-2021).
- “Texas Legislature: Looking Ahead,” Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas State Conference, Austin (2021).
- “Media Law: It is Time for NJ to ‘Slap Back,’” New Jersey State Bar Association Annual Meeting Webinar (2021).
- “Hitting Back: SLAPP Suits & Anti-SLAPP Statutes,” 28th Annual Fordham IPLJ Symposium: Free Speech in the Modern Age Webinar (2021).
- “Public Sector Employees and First Amendment Issues,” ABA Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division program, (2021).
Publications
Law Reviews/Treatises
- “SLAPP Suits: An Encroachment on Human Rights of a Global Proportion,” author, Northwestern Human Rights Law Journal (2023).
- “The Changing Landscape of the Texas Citizens Participation Act,” co-author with Professor Robert T. Sherwin, Texas Tech Law Review (2020).
- “The Developing Jurisprudence of the Texas Citizens Participation Act,” co-author with Justice Jane Bland, Texas Tech Law Review (2018).
- “Bullies Beware: Safeguarding Constitutional Rights Through Anti-SLAPP in Texas,” co-author with Justice Jane Bland, Texas Tech Law Review (2015).
- E-Copyright Law Handbook, Aspen Law & Business.
- The First Amendment and Related Issues, Art Law Handbook, co-author, Chapter 3, Aspen Law & Business.
Other articles
- “The Truth About the TCPA,” The Texas Lawbook (2025).
- “Anti-SLAPP Law’s Automatic Stay Under Fire at Capitol,” The Texas Lawbook (2025).
- “Don’t let SLAPP lawsuits undermine Texans’ freedom of speech (Opinion), Houston Chronicle (2023).
- “Global Developments in Freedom of Expression,” Haynes Boone Year in Review (2022).
- “Anti-SLAPP Circuit Split Makes State Protections Uncertain,” Law360 (2020).
- “Striking a Balance,” Texas Bar Journal (2020).
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Education
- J.D., The University of Texas School of Law, with honors
- B.B.A., The University of Texas at Austin, with highest honors
Clerkships
Law Clerk to the Honorable Hayden W. Head, Jr., U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, 1991-1992
Admissions
- California
- District of Columbia
- New York
- Texas
- Colorado
Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
- United States Supreme Court
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When does it matter most to involve you in a case?
It matters most when First Amendment rights are at issue. Some statutes have swift and strict deadlines, the earlier we are involved, the earlier we can get the case dismissed and, in many cases, get a favorable attorneys’ fees award. Even if a case has been lost at the trial court level, however, we have distinctive appellate expertise and experience in free speech and intellectual property matters as well as constitutional challenges.
How does your experience with Anti-SLAPP laws affect your litigation approach?
Because I have intimate knowledge of the drafting, passage, and defense of Anti-SLAPP laws, I have a breadth of knowledge unique to most practitioners. Not only can I explain to a Court how the Anti-SLAPP law works, but I can also explain why the law was developed in that manner. This knowledge informs how I approach timing, evidentiary standards, and procedural strategy in all of the Anti-SLAPP cases I handle.
Do you work only on litigation, or also before a claim is filed?
I work on both. I advise on risk and strategy before publication or dispute, and I handle litigation and appeals if a claim is filed. Additionally, and within the Haynes Boone media practice group, I also observe areas of the law that have systemic problems and advocate for changes in the law to address these issues in a meaningful long-term fashion – something that cannot be generally done on a case by case basis.
How does your legislative work relate to your client work?
My legislative work is an extension of my client work: both are focused on protecting free speech, press freedom, and meaningful public participation before disputes become ruinously expensive or speech is chilled. At the Legislature, I’ve helped to draft, pass, and defend laws governing defamation, public participation, newsgathering, public access to information, and media liability and mitigation of damages. In court, I have litigated how those same statutes are interpreted and applied. That combination allows me to serve clients not only as an advocate in individual cases, but also as a lawyer who understands the policy choices, statutory language, and procedural tools that shape the outcome of speech-related disputes.
What types of matters tend to benefit most from your experience?
High stakes matters involving First Amendment rights, including Anti-SLAPP laws, constitutional challenges, intellectual property rights, and speech-based claims at the trial and appellate level.
What courts and proceedings do you typically handle?
I handle matters in state and federal trial and appellate courts, including proceedings where constitutional or statutory interpretation is central.
Prather in OK! Magazine: Anti-SLAPP Ruling Turns $1 Million Lawsuit Into Free Speech Flashpoint
June 26, 2026
Prather in Star Magazine: "The Rip" Lawsuit
May 19, 2026