Legal Lunch & Learn: Defamation on Social Media
Who this resource is for: Everyone!
Can I be sued for something I say on social media? What is safe to share online and what could get me in trouble? Join David Wotherspoon and Jasmine Der, defamation and free speech litigators, for an in depth discussion on defamation on social media. Learn about an ongoing case raising questions about free speech on social media, and why lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP suits) also known as intimidation suits, are so damaging.
About the panel:
Martha Rans QC is a lawyer specializing in the legal needs of non-profit societies, charities, co-operatives, as well as many artists. She has been practicing law in British Columbia since 1997 (Ontario 1995) and spent 10 years as a labour employment and human rights lawyer/mediator with the BC and Ontario governments. She is a recognized expert on both Canada's Copyright Act as well as the BC Societies Act. She advises on copyright, charity law, incorporation, privacy, employment, labour, health & safety and human rights and is an advocate for public legal education and information. Martha is the Founder and Legal Director of Pacific Legal Education and Outreach Society (PLEOS), home of the Artists Legal Outreach and Law for Non-Profits. Thousands of artists and non-profits have accessed the services offered by PLEO. In 2021 Martha was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in recognition of her contributions to access to justice.
David Wotherspoon is a partner in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution at Dentons Law Firm with a focus on corporate and commercial disputes, David’s practice encompasses all areas of litigation and dispute resolution. He has extensive experience in matters that relate to injunctions and Anton Piller orders, defamation and free speech, intellectual property and software disputes, crisis management, professional liability, shareholder disputes and fraud investigations.
David brings more than 25 years of experience and has acted for large institutional clients in a broad range of industry sectors, as well as many early-stage companies and individuals, with particular experience in areas such as technology and intellectual property. David’s experience in commercial litigation is guided by the understanding that litigation must first serve the client’s business purposes.
David is extensively engaged in pro bono cases, taking on several opportunities to represent those who would otherwise have limited access to the justice system. Many of his cases have involved protecting businesses that have been targeted in a way that requires intense and swift action and often injunctions to safeguard clients' rights.
In the last few years David has received three prestigious awards:
Recipient of Lexpert Zenith Award “Celebrating Change Agents in Law,” 2019
Recipient of the Harry Rankin QC Pro Bono Award, 2019
Named one of Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in the Corporate Commercial category by Canadian Lawyer, 2018
Jasmine Der is an associate in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution at Dentons Law Firm. She assists clients with a variety of commercial and intellectual property litigation matters. Her practice focuses on contractual disputes, patent and trademark disputes, and a wide range of other commercial matters.
Prior to joining Dentons as an associate, Jasmine gained experience at both a boutique firm and in the Vancouver office of another international firm. Jasmine received her J.D. from the Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia.