MLRC Media Law Conference 2025

Date: Monday, September 15 - Wednesday, September 17

Registration

The MLRC invites you to join us for our biggest conference of the year, the Media Law Conference at the lovely Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Va on Monday, September 15 (starting at 1:30pm) through Wednesday, September 17 (ending at 2pm). The Conference brings together some 300 topnotch media lawyers for substantive programs, 25 interactive breakout sessions to group think strategies to repulse the attacks on the media and free speech, and for opportunities to renew friendships with colleagues.

Schedule

Monday, September 15

11 am | Lansdowne Ballroom Foyer
Registration Opens

1:30–2:55 pm | Lansdowne Ballroom
Trump, the Press and the First Amendment
A discussion about how, why and to what long-term effect Trump has attacked, weakened and undermined the press. What can we do to counter his offensive. Introduced by a clip from “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver.”
With FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez; Senior U.S. Judge Paul Friedman (D.D.C.); Former Clinton White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry; First Amendment lawyer Lee Levine; former New York Times Washington Bureau Chief Elisabeth Bumiller; and Laura Handman, (moderator) Davis Wright Tremaine

3:10-4:10 pm | Various Locations
Boutique Slot A
During the Conference there are 5 Boutique Slots, each an hour, for 18 different topics. You can attend any one of the boutiques without pre-registration. Copyright, Digital Media, Entertainment, Ethics, Libel Developments, Newsgathering, and Prepublication Review are offered 2x.

Copyright | Ballroom C
Fair use law after Warhol: assessing transformative use; how are courts grappling with artificial intelligence & copyright; the latest from the SCT on damages.
With Josh Bornstein, Fox Rothschild; Simone Procas, New York Times; Robert Rotstein, Mitchell Silverberg Knupp; Maryanne Stanganelli, Insider
Entertainment Law | Faulkner
An interactive discussion of a ripped from the headlines Hollywood hypothetical.
With Jonathan Anschell, Mattel; Lee Brenner, Venable; Lindsey Faivus, Netflix; Jesse Feitel, HarperCollins
FOIA | Bacon
DOGE, FOIA staffing cuts, federal & state activity, third-party messaging tools, recent FOIA decisions, and group discussion of what people are seeing in FOIA world.
With Matt Topic, Loevy & Loevy; and Prof. Amy Sanders, Penn State
Libel Developments | Amphitheater
Sullivan is attacked and defended; political libel suits; Zach Young’s latest lawsuits dismissed; will Smartmatic v. Fox head to trial; other high-profile cases and breaking developments.
With Kate Bolger, Davis Wright Tremaine; Mark Caramanica, Thomas & LoCicero; Bryan Clark, Vedder Price; Blaine Kimrey, Vedder Price; David Vigilante, CNN
Newsgathering | Ballroom D
Restrictions on reporting from The White House; government retaliations against broadcasters; AI recreations in court.
With Cindy Gierhart, Holland & Knight; Rachel Fugate, Shullman Fugate; Mickey Osterreicher, NPPA; Kristi Ramsay, CNN

4:25–5:25 pm | Lansdowne Ballroom
The January 6th Insurrection: Access to Information & the First Amendment
Public access to video evidence; media outtake policies; the impact of pardons on access to information; and issues raised by rioters claiming a journalism defense.
With Fabio Bertoni, General Counsel, The New Yorker; Jennifer L. Blackwell, former Deputy Chief, Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney’s Office, D.C.; Spencer S. Hsu, Investigative Reporter, formerly with The Washington Post; Gregory P. Rosen, Rogers Joseph O’Donnell PC, former Chief of Capitol Siege Section, U.S. Attorney’s Office, D.C.; and Chuck Tobin (moderator) Ballard Spahr LLP

6-7pm | Outdoor Patio
Opening Reception
Sponsored by Mandell Menkes LLC

7-9:15pm – Lansdowne Ballroom
Dinner and Program: Fred Friendly-Style Hypothetical Case Study
We’ll address AI hallucinations, content moderation, platform liability, and parody deepfakes.
With Robert Corn-Revere, FIRE; Prof. Mary-Rose Papandrea, GW Law School; Meenakshi Krishnan, Davis Wright Tremaine; Jordan Gimbel, Microsoft; and Jonathan Anschell, Mattel. Moderated by Jeff Hermes, MLRC
Sponsored by Arnold & Porter

9:15-10:45pm | Balcony Outside Ballroom
After-dinner Champagne Tasting
Sponsored by Venable

Tuesday, September 16

8:15-10:00am (program starts at 9am) | Lansdowne Ballroom
Breakfast with Program: Murder the Truth: Fear, the First Amendment, and a Secret Campaign to Protect the Powerful
New York Times reporter David Enrich will talk about his new book in a Q&A with Grant McAvaney, Head of Litigation, News Corp. Australia. How does the attack on Sullivan look from a jurisdiction without its protection?

10:10-11:10am | Various Locations
Boutique Slot B

Copyright | Ballroom C
Fair use law after Warhol: assessing transformative use; how are courts grappling with artificial intelligence & copyright; the latest from the SCT on damages.
With Josh Bornstein, Fox Rothschild; Simone Procas, New York Times; Robert Rotstein, Mitchell Silverberg Knupp; Maryanne Stanganelli, Insider
Digital Media | Ballroom D
Has the SCT’s decision opened the door for age-gating the Internet? Will Sec. 230 bar social media addiction and other online harm cases? Can the US withstand the global surge of Online Safety laws?
With Jennifer Dukarski, Butzel Long; Jeff Hermes, MLRC; David Barker, Pinsent Masons; Andy Sellars, Albert Sellars
Media Deals | Bacon
An interactive walk through of a real-world term sheet offer for a podcast host, highlighting key deal points.
With Kristel Tupja, Audiochuck; and Rebecca Siegel, TIME
PrePublication Review | Amphitheater Group
Discussion and analysis of legal issues in a hypothetical news article and documentary film.
With Ava Lubell, Dow Jones; Drew Shenkman, CNN; Peter Rienecker, Warner Bros. Discovery; Collin Peng-Sue, Netflix
Right of Publicity and Privacy | Faulkner
Legislative & litigation developments on right of publicity/digital replicas/deepfakes at the federal and state level.
With Elizabeth Seidlin-Bernstein, Ballard Spahr, and Ben Sheffner, Motion Picture Association

11:25-12:25pm | Various Locations
Boutique Slot C

Anti-SLAPP Law | Faulkner
New state anti-SLAPP laws & attempts in some states to roll back protection; key legal developments; update on anti-SLAPP in federal court; forum shopping by plaintiffs; and fee recovery issues.
With Laura Prather, Haynes & Boone, and Kevin Vick, Jassy Vick Carolan
Entertainment Law | Amphitheater
An interactive discussion of a ripped from the headlines Hollywood hypothetical.
With Jonathan Anschell, Mattel; Lee Brenner, Venable; Lindsey Faivus, Netflix; Jesse Feitel, HarperCollins
International Law | Bacon
US vs. Europe: why is the Administration slamming Europe as anti-free speech; how is the public interest defense for defamation faring in different jurisdictions; high profile defamation trials: how has the media fared; the continuing ‘privacy creep’ around arrests and investigations; and more.
With Lesley Caplin, Dentons (Dublin); Matthew Dando, Wiggin (London); Jens van den Brink, Kennedy Van der Laan (Amsterdam)
Newsgathering | Ballroom D
Discussion and analysis of the the White House vs. the Press; government retaliations against broadcasters; AI recreations in court.
With Cindy Gierhart, Holland & Knight; Rachel Fugate, Shullman Fugate; Mickey Osterreicher, NPPA; Kristi Ramsay, CNN
The Press Clause: The Forgotten First Amendment | Ballroom C
Legal, historical, and practical arguments to invigorate the Press Clause — get involved in the ongoing project to improve litigation arguments using the Press Clause.
With Sandy Baron, Yale Information Society, and Lee Levine

12:30-2 pm | Ballroom
Lunch and Program: Journalism Jeopardy

2-3 pm | Various Locations
Boutique Slot D

Advertising & Commercial Speech | Faulkner
AI-created ads, auto-renewals, influencer class actions, and junk fee legislation with perhaps a few wacky tales from the sweepstakes and contest world as well.
With Brendan Healey, Baron Harris Healey, and Katherine Surprenant, Klaris Law
Ethics for Media Lawyers | Ballroom C
Ethical dilemmas over client editorial choices; potential ethical Issues with Administration-directed law firm agreements; how to represent the interests of both the organization and the journalist; ethics of generative AI.
With Theresa House, Arnold & Porter; Ashley Messenger, NPR; Andrew Pauwels, Honingman; Cameron Stracher, StracherLaw
Libel Developments | Amphitheater
Sullivan is attacked and defended; political libel suits; Zach Young’s latest lawsuits dismissed; will Smartmatic v. Fox head to trial; other high-profile cases and breaking developments.
With Kate Bolger, Davis Wright Tremaine; Mark Caramanica, Thomas & LoCicero; Bryan Clark, Vedder Price; Blaine Kimrey, Vedder Price; David Vigilante, CNN
Subpoenas, Shield Laws & the DOJ | Bacon
The Espionage Act: what you need to know; the new DOJ policy on media subpoenas; lessons learned on state shield laws: who owns the privilege?
With Steve Fuzesi, Williams & Connolly, and Benjamin Lipman, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Trial Techniques | Ballroom D
Trial lawyers will discuss practical media trial strategies and tactics.
With Charles “Chip” Babcock, Jackson Walker, and Ashley Heilprin, Phelps; Steve Mandell, Mandell Menkes

3-6 pm | Various Locations
Recreation Time
Enjoy running and bike paths, tennis courts (with round-robin for hackers), golf course (contact Matt Topic for details), pool and spa.

5:30-6:30 pm | Coton & Rye Hotel Bar
Next Generation / First Timers Happy Hour
Drinks and networking for members of MLRC’s Next Gen committee and first timers to the conference.

6:00-6:30 pm | Ballroom D
London Conference 2026 Open Planning Meeting

7-9 pm | Various Locations
Dinner (on your own)
Free time to dine and network with clients and friends. If you have no plans, there will be sign-up sheets at the conference registration table for dinner in the hotel.

9-10:30 pm | Waterfall Terrace
After-Dinner Reception / Wine Tasting
Sponsored by Mutual Insurance

Wednesday, September 17

9-10:30am (program starts at 9:20) | Ballroom
Breakfast and Program: Trial Tales
Trial counsel from the Palin v. New York Times and Mann v. National Review cases will discuss key strategies and outcomes.
With Felicia Ellsworth, WilmerHale; David Axelrod, Ballard Spahr; Mark Bailen, Bailen Law; Victoria Weatherford, BakerHostetler; Michael Berry (moderator), Ballard Spahr.
Sponsored by WilmerHale

10:45-11:45am | Various Locations
Boutique Slot E

Book Bans: Burn Before Reading | Faulkner
Lawyers directly involved in cases challenging book bans will discuss their litigation strategies, underlying state laws, and First Amendment challenges.
With moderators Michael Grygiel, Greenberg Traurig, and Daniel Novack, Penguin Random House; and panelists Kelly McNamee, Greenberg Traurig; and Rebecca Hughes Parker, Dentons.
Digital Media | Ballroom C
Has the SCT opened the door to age-gating the Internet? Will Sec. 230 bar social media addiction and other online harm cases? Can the US withstand the global surge of Online Safety laws?
With Jennifer Dukarski, Butzel Long; Jeff Hermes, MLRC; David Barker, Pinsent Masons; Andy Sellars, Albert Sellars
Ethics for Media Lawyers | Ballroom C
Ethical dilemmas over client editorial choices; potential ethical Issues with Administration-directed law firm agreements; how to represent the interests of both the organization and the journalist; ethics of generative AI.
With Theresa House, Arnold & Porter; Ashley Messenger, NPR; Andrew Pauwels, Honingman; Cameron Stracher, StracherLaw
Music Copyright | Bacon
Pop stars in court: Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, and fair use. Types of copyrights in music and applicable rights: how the money flows; the latest updates on AI copyright issues; and more.
With Scott Sholder, Cowen DeBaets
PrePublication Review | Amphitheater
Group discussion and analysis of legal issues in a hypothetical news article and documentary film.
With Ava Lubell, Dow Jones; Drew Shenkman, CNN; Peter Rienecker, Warner Bros. Discovery; Collin Peng-Sue, Netflix

12-1:30pm | Lansdowne Ballroom
Lunch with Program: Journalism from the Whistleblower’s Perspective
Danielle Hegseth, former sister-in-law of Sec. of Defense Pete Hegseth, was convinced by GOP Sen. Thom Tillis to go public with her allegations about his abusive behavior and public drunkenness. The media followed the story, relying on leaks and slogging through spin. Despite the whistleblower’s testimony, Hegseth was confirmed, only to be tarred by SignalGate. Dealing with the whistleblower, did journalists act responsibly? How did she decide whom to trust? What happens, as during SignalGate, when the journalist is himself the whistleblower? And does any of this truth-telling, which comes at great personal sacrifice, even matter?
With Danielle Hegseth; David Baumgarten, GC of The Atlantic; Jon Clark, Counsel to the Senate Armed Services Committee; and Leita Walker, Ballard Spahr