Laura R. Handman

Laura R. Handman


Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

Recognized since 1997

New York, New York

Practice Areas

First Amendment Law

Litigation - First Amendment

Media Law

Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2025 - Media Law
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Laura Handman is the co-chair of the firm’s appellate practice and divides her time between the New York and D.C. offices. For thirty years, Laura has been providing pre-publication counseling and litigation services from complaint through trial and appeal to U.S. and foreign broadcasters, film studios, and book, magazine, newspaper and Internet publishers and non-profits. Laura has extensive experience in libel, newsgathering, privacy, right of publicity, reporter’s privilege and First Amendment matters. She obtained the first decision in U.S. courts refusing to enforce foreign libel judgments as inconsistent with the First Amendment and was involved in the passage of the SPEECH Act codifying those decisions as federal law. Laura has served as an expert on American libel law in actions in England, Northern Ireland and Australia. She has obtained the first decisions applying the D.C. Anti-SLAPP Act in federal court and has written four amicus briefs on Anti-SLAPP issues. She represents news organizations, reporters, and Internet firms in national security investigations. She brings recognized expertise to clients in copyright litigation and was appointed a special master in S.D.N.Y. to review advertising and promotion in a civil fraud action.

Laura’s clients include: Amazon.com, Associated Newspapers, Atlantic Media Company, Bloomberg, Center for American Progress, China Central Television (CCTV), Discovery Communications, Dow Jones, The Economist, HarperCollins, Hearst Corporation, MainJustice.com, Microsoft, New York Daily News, New York Post, National Public Radio (NPR), Pew Charitable Trust, Random House, Straus Newspapers, Times Newspapers Ltd., TripAdvisor, U.S. News & World Report, Yale Alumni Magazine, and Yelp.

Contact & Links
Locations
  • 1251 Avenue Of The Americas, 21st Floor
    New York, NY 10020-1104
  • 1301 K Street NW Suite 500 East
    Washington, DC 20005
Education
  • Boston University School of Law, J.D., graduated 1977
Bar Admissions
  • District of Columbia, The District of Columbia Bar
  • New York, New York State Bar Association
  • Massachusetts, Massachusetts Bar Association

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
Headquarters: Seattle, Washington

180 The Best Lawyers in America® awards

124 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America awards

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Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2025 - Media Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2024 - Litigation - First Amendment Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2020 - Litigation - First Amendment Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2017 - Litigation - First Amendment Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2016 - Litigation - First Amendment Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2016 - Litigation - First Amendment Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2015 - First Amendment Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2015 - First Amendment Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2015 - Media Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2015 - Media Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2014 - Litigation - First Amendment Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2014 - Litigation - First Amendment
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
  • Media Law, New York City (2025)
  • Litigation - First Amendment, New York City (2024)
  • Litigation - First Amendment, New York City (2020)
  • Litigation - First Amendment, New York City (2017)
  • Litigation - First Amendment, Washington DC (2016)
  • Litigation - First Amendment, Washington, DC (2016)
  • First Amendment Law, Washington DC (2015)
  • First Amendment Law, Washington, DC (2015)
  • Media Law, Washington DC (2015)
  • Media Law, Washington, DC (2015)
  • Litigation - First Amendment, Washington DC (2014)
  • Litigation - First Amendment, Washington, DC (2014)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 for work in:
  • First Amendment Law
  • Litigation - First Amendment
  • Media Law
Additional Areas of Practice:
  • Appellate Practice
  • Entertainment Law - Motion Pictures and Television
  • Entertainment Law - Music
  • Litigation - Intellectual Property

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Publications

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