The European Commission recently appointed Haynes Boone Partner Laura Prather to its Expert Group Against SLAPP, a specialized group advising the European Commission on policy and legal initiatives to combat abusive lawsuits targeting free expression.
The Expert Group Against SLAPP brings together leading practitioners and experts to assist the European Commission in developing and implementing EU-wide legislative and policy measures designed to protect journalists, human rights defenders, activists and civil society organizations from lawsuits intended to silence or intimidate public participation. The group also works to promote training for legal practitioners, facilitate cross-border collaboration and help establish support mechanisms for victims of SLAPP.
As a nationally recognized authority on anti-SLAPP law, Prather has played a leading role in shaping anti-SLAPP protections. In 2022–2023, Prather received the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship, during which she analyzed comparative free-expression protections in the United States and the EU. That work led to her selection as an advisor to the Council of Europe’s Anti-SLAPP Expert Working Group, where she contributed to recommended protections now guiding efforts across Europe.
“The European Commission’s work on anti-SLAPP protection is critical to free expression around the world, especially in increasingly complex legal environments,” Prather said. “This appointment provides an important opportunity to contribute practical experience as the European Commission advances policy and legislative approaches that address abusive lawsuits across borders.”
Prather represents media companies, publishers, broadcasters and digital content creators in First Amendment and Anti‑SLAPP disputes and has testified before state legislatures and Congress on the need for stronger protections. She also served as an American Bar Association Advisor to the Uniform Law Commission’s Model Anti-SLAPP Committee, which developed the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act, and she advised First Amendment Watch at New York University on the launch of its SLAPP Back Initiative, the first mapping platform of SLAPP suits in the United States.
In addition to her extensive anti-SLAPP work, Prather has long been at the forefront of First Amendment legal battles and represented a coalition of news organizations seeking the release of public records related to the tragic May 2022 mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. She also secured a major First Amendment victory in Book People, Inc. v. Wong, in which the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas ruled that the rating system in Texas House Bill 900 (the READER Act) is unconstitutional.
The Haynes Boone Media Law Practice Group is nationally ranked by Chambers USA. With offices across the world, Haynes Boone offers a full range of litigation, counseling and advocacy services in all aspects of media and entertainment law nationwide. The firm also supports clients with a broad array of services in connection with media, intellectual property, cybersecurity, data privacy and related issues.
