Michael J. Lambert

Michael J. Lambert is an associate in the Intellectual Property Practice Group in Haynes Boone’s Austin office. He focuses on media, entertainment, intellectual property, and First Amendment litigation. Recognized by Best Lawyers as “Ones to Watch” (2023-2026), Michael has represented a wide range of clients in state and federal trial and appellate courts. Outside of court, he counsels clients on defamation, privacy, access, and newsgathering matters and advocates for legislative reforms advancing press freedoms. He also writes and speaks publicly about First Amendment, internet law, and anti-SLAPP issues and is a regular guest on the HB Media Minute podcast.

Before joining Haynes Boone, Michael provided libel, newsgathering, and copyright advice to media clients and performed pre-publication review for national magazines at a Boston law firm. He also litigated libel and public records cases. Prior to that, he reviewed scripts and videos and contributed to litigation for the NBCUniversal News Group in New York City. Upon graduating law school, he served as the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Legal Fellow for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, where he drafted amicus briefs in important press freedom cases in federal and state appellate courts.

Michael’s experiences extend to internet and social media law. He has interned at Harvard Law School’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society and authored chapters on social media and copyright law for Internet Law: The Complete Guide.

His client relationships are shaped by his journalism background as a graduate of the Louisiana State University Manship School of Mass Communication and years working as a reporter.

A passionate advocate for speech and press freedoms, Michael is active in the media law bar. He serves as the Co-Chair of the Internet, Publicity, and Social Media Committee of the American Bar Association’s Forum on Communications Law. He has written extensively on a variety of media law topics, provided client trainings, and guest lectured college journalism classes. Outside of law, Michael is proud to have run the 2020 Boston Marathon and raised over $20,000 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.