Michael J. Grygiel

Profile

Mr. Grygiel, Chair of the Firm’s Media & First Amendment Law Practice Area, concentrates his practice in defending media clients from newsgathering and publication related claims, including defamation, copyright infringement, and invasion of privacy matters. Mr. Grygiel has successfully represented the press in numerous cases involving applications for access to civil and criminal court proceedings and records, and also has extensive experience with freedom of information law cases in both federal and state courts. Mr. Grygiel is also Chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Media Law. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Grygiel was the Director of the Arthur Levitt Public Policy Center at Hamilton College, where his teaching specialty was First Amendment and constitutional law.

Areas of Practice

• Media & First Amendment Law
  

Representative Clients / Matters

• Primary outside counsel to and personally supervise legal matters for several media clients including three daily newspapers in New York
• Primary outside counsel to the New York Newspaper Publishers Association, Inc.
• Primary regional counsel to an international communications/entertainment company and owner of numerous radio and television broadcasting stations in New York State
• Represented several national media companies and publications

Publications / Speaking

• Frequent speaker to various media groups and professional associations on First Amendment issues.

Admitted to Practice

• New York
• Vermont
• District of Columbia
• US District Court, Northern District of New York
• US Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit

Education

• Temple University School of Law, J.D., 1983
  
• Hamilton College, B.A., 1979
  

Professional Affiliations

• Albany County Bar Association
  
• New York State Bar Association, Committee on Media Law, Chair
  

Prior Experience

• McNamee, Lochner, Titus & Williams, P.C., Of Counsel
• University of Vermont in Burlington, Assistant General Counsel
• Hamilton College, Director of Arthur Levitt Public Policy Center

Honors

• The Best Lawyers in America, Media Law
• Selected by Peer Review for Inclusion in Super Lawyer Directory 2007 and 2008 for First Amendment/Media/Advertising
• Martindale-Hubbell “AV” Peer Review Rated for Very High to Preeminent Ethical Standards and Legal Ability

Office Locations

50 Beaver Street
Albany, New York 12207
Office Phone: 518.429.4200
Office Fax: 518.429.4201

Seven Times Square
New York, New York 10036
Office Phone: 212.784.5800
Office Fax: 212.784.5777