Attorney Michael S. Lewis obtained a landmark ruling from the NH Supreme Court bolstering free speech and free press rights, today, in the matter of Richards v. Azzi. Representing Robert Azzi, an award-winning columnist, as part of the firm’s pro bono practice, Lewis obtained a ruling from the NH Supreme Court protecting Azzi from liability for the content of an opinion column he published in the New Hampshire Union Leader. In the same decision, the Court resolved the open question of whether New Hampshire recognizes an independent cause of action known as “False Light – Invasion of Privacy” in Azzi’s favor. Grounding its decision in scholarship Azzi brought before the Court in his briefing, the Court declined to expand the risks of engaging in free speech and press by recognizing a new cause of action that threatens those interests. Generally, the decision strengthens protections for public commentary that are long recognized in New Hampshire. These protections, in turn, ensure that New Hampshire will remain a forum for robust public debate, consistent with its standing as a jurisdiction whose citizens embrace and welcome such debate as part of their First-in-the-Nation political identity.
