Bradley Secures Victory in Free Speech and Attorney Immunity Case

HOUSTON, July 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Bradley attorneys Rob Ford, Michael Williams, and Sumner Fortenberry secured dismissal for a Bradley client in high-profile Texas state court litigation in a matter involving core free speech and attorney-immunity protections. On June 16 and 23, Judge Kristen Hawkins of the 11^th Judicial District Court for Harris County, Texas, dismissed with prejudice all three lawsuits against firm client Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan ("Quinn Emanuel"), which had been accused of barratry, tortious interference, and civil conspiracy arising from an alleged scheme to recruit attorney Tony Buzbee's former clients and employees to file suit against him.

Filed in December 2024, the case arose from a dispute between Houston trial lawyer Tony Buzbee and Grammy Award-winning rapper, businessman, and record executive Shawn Carter, known professionally as Jay-Z. After Mr. Buzbee asserted allegations against Mr. Carter on behalf of a client, which Mr. Carter denied, Mr. Buzbee's law firm and two individuals sued a group of defendants: Mr. Carter's counsel, Quinn Emanuel, his entertainment company, Roc Nation, LLC, and Mississippi attorney Marcy Croft and her law firm. The suit alleged that the defendants conspired to entice Mr. Buzbee's former clients and employees to bring claims against him. The Buzbee Law firm initially sought a temporary restraining order ("TRO") against Quinn Emanuel, which Bradley convinced the court to deny. 

From there, Bradley sought dismissal of the claims against its client under the Texas Citizens' Participation Act (TCPA), the state's anti-SLAPP law, which allows defendants to quickly defeat lawsuits brought to punish or silence protected speech. Mr. Ford, Mr. Williams and Mr. Fortenberry argued on behalf of Quinn Emanuel that the TCPA's protections applied, and even if Buzbee could establish the elements of a claim against Quinn Emanuel, any such claim would be barred by the attorney-immunity doctrine. The court granted the TCPA motions in full, disposing of each of Mr. Buzbee's claims and awarded Quinn Emanuel its reasonable and necessary attorneys' fees incurred in securing dismissal of the lawsuits.

Other members of the Bradley team providing critical assistance were attorneys Lauren Black, Jared Caplan, Stephen Fritz, Garner Vance, Mary Grace Whitten, and Jaylan Sanders, as well as paraprofessionals Angela Davis, Mia Brown, Latisha Horn, and Nicole Kellum. 

About Bradley
For over 155 years, Bradley has combined skilled legal counsel with exceptional client service and unwavering integrity to assist a diverse range of corporate and individual clients in achieving their business goals. An Am Law 100 firm with 13 offices in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and the District of Columbia, Bradley's more than 750 lawyers represent regional, national and international clients in high-stakes litigation, transactions, and regulatory matters across various industries, including banking and financial services, construction, energy, healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, real estate, and technology, among many others.

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SOURCE Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP