Gibson Dunn Announces First Amendment and Free Expression Practice, Building on Decades of Trailblazing Work
Firm News | January 21, 2026
Gibson Dunn today formally launched a First Amendment and Free Expression Practice Group, creating a dedicated home for the firm’s longstanding expertise in advising and defending clients on matters involving fundamental freedoms and the free exchange of ideas.
“Gibson Dunn has been at the forefront of defending free expression in the United States and throughout the world for generations,” said Theodore J. Boutrous, Jr., Co-Chair of the First Amendment and Free Expression Practice Group. “From challenging government action targeting free expression, defending against private litigation seeking to impose liability on protected corporate speech, advising clients on defamation risk around the world, or challenging government action targeting news media organizations, our clients trust us to navigate the free expression issues that have defined industries and made history. Our First Amendment and Free Expression group acknowledges and highlights that important work.”
Gibson Dunn’s First Amendment and Free Expression team has long been recognized for its experience handling complex, high-stakes matters that test the boundaries of free expression in today’s evolving technological and regulatory landscape. The group represents clients across industries and jurisdictions in private litigation involving claims like defamation, in challenging government regulations and statutes that restrict or punish free expression, and defending against efforts to impose liability on protected corporate speech. From major news organizations and leading technology platforms to entertainment studios and AI innovators, the firm’s lawyers are shaping the future of free expression through their work in landmark cases worldwide.
“Free expression issues have never been more complex—or more consequential,” said practice group Co-Chair Katie Townsend. “We have spent decades representing news media organizations and protecting the rights of the press against private litigation and government retaliation to ensure the public continues to receive unrestricted, accurate reporting on the issues of the moment.”
“From inventive private lawsuits to shifting regulatory landscapes, clients need counsel who understand both the constitutional principles at stake and the business realities driving them,” said practice group Co-Chair Connor Sullivan. “Our team has significant experience defending speech and expression on every frontier—from traditional media to emerging AI technologies—and we bring the insight and expertise to guide clients through these challenges around the world.”
The practice group also represents individuals and institutions of every faith when their rights are implicated under the First Amendment’s Religion Clauses, combatting discrimination on the basis of religion, protecting the autonomy of religious institutions, and defending free exercise of religion. Our colleagues ensure the proper application of both the Free Exercise Clause and the Establishment Clause, as well as the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), and its state equivalents. We have had extraordinary success advising clients on cutting-edge topics, bringing affirmative litigation in state and federal trial courts across the country, prosecuting appeals up to and including landmark decisions at the U.S. Supreme Court, and filing amicus briefs at every level.
The First Amendment team collaborates closely with Gibson Dunn’s preeminent Appellate and Constitutional Law, Administrative and Regulatory Law, Intellectual Property, Tech and Innovation, Technology Litigation, Trials, and Media, Entertainment and Technology Practice Groups to provide comprehensive counsel at every stage of litigation and regulation.
“Whether the challenge involves defamation claims in the age of AI, government retaliation against journalists, or cross-border speech disputes, Gibson Dunn stands ready to defend our clients’ rights and the principles of free expression that underpin democracy,” added Theodore.
Read more about our First Amendment and Free Expression Practice Group: https://www.gibsondunn.com/practice/first-amendment-and-free-expression/