Deanna K. Shullman's Profile Image

Deanna K. Shullman

Phone: (561) 429-3619
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Deanna Shullman develops and implements successful strategies for defending clients in business, intellectual property, and content-related litigation. She is known for her ability to solve practical problems for businesses both inside and outside of litigation.

In her media/First Amendment practice, she has defended hundreds of defamation cases in state and federal courts and is counsel of record in more than one hundred reported decisions. Deanna provides pre-broadcast and pre-publication review and newsgathering advice, offers advice concerning content and publication practices, defends against subpoenas to reporters, defamation, and privacy claims, and prosecutes actions concerning access to government records and proceedings. In her intellectual property practice, Deanna litigates copyright and trademark disputes and provides advice concerning intellectual property management and enforcement. In her commercial litigation practice, Deanna litigates commercial disputes for corporate clients of all sizes, including contract disputes, business torts and related areas.

Deanna also prepares and reviews licenses, contracts and other documents related to intellectual property and business operations and management. She has also served as an expert witness on attorneys’ fees in defamation, privacy, and public records cases and has testified at deposition and in court regarding such matters.

Deanna frequently speaks and lectures on issues related to content, intellectual property and legal ethics. Deanna is a member of the American Bar Association’s Forum on Communications Law, where she has served on the Governing Committee and several sub-committees. She is also a Co-Chair of the Media Law Resource Center’s Newsgathering Committee. She is also a member and past Chair of the Florida Bar Media and Communications Law Committee.

Education

  • JD, University of Florida, 2001
  • Certificate in Intellectual Property, University of Florida, 2001
  • MA, Mass Communications, University of Florida, 2001
  • BS, Television/Radio, Ithaca College, 1995

Bar Admissions

  • Florida
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Recognitions

  • Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell
  • Florida Super Lawyers (2013-2023)
  • “Band 1” Rating by Chambers USA Guide for Media & Entertainment (2023)

Speaking & Media

Deanna is quoted frequently on matters of free speech, access to records, and other matters related to content gatherers and publishers. She has been included in Verdict Search (Cases of Note), Daily Business Review, The Sun-Sentinel, Reuters, The New York Times, The Miami Herald, among many other publications.

She also appears regularly as an invited speaker at both national and local events on matters impacting content publishers, for example:

  • Panel Speaker, “Legal Ethics for Media Lawyers: Current Issues,” Practicing Law Institute Communications Law in the Digital Age 2022 (New York, New York, November 2023)
  • Panel Speaker, “Legal Ethics for Media Lawyers: Current Issues,” Practicing Law Institute Communications Law in the Digital Age 2022 (New York, New York, November 2022)
  • Panel Speaker, "Sullivan Unsettled? Brainstorming the Future of Defamation Law in the Misinformation Age," Media & the Law Seminar (virtual, April 2022)
  • Lead Panel Speaker, Libel & Privacy, ABA Forum on Communications Law Annual Conference (virtual, January 2021)
  • Panel Speaker, Newsgathering, MLRC Media Law Conference (virtual, October 2020)
  • Panel Speaker, “In Harm’s Aftermath: Covering the News in Violent Times,” ABA Forum on Communications Law Annual Conference (Austin, TX, February 2020)
  • Guest Lecturer, Defamation, Newsgathering, Privacy & Intellectual Property, Ithaca College Roy H. Park School of Communications (Ithaca, NY, October 2019; November 2020)
  • Guest Lecturer, Defamation, Privacy & Intellectual Property, Ithaca College Graduate School of Business in Entertainment and Media Management (Ithaca, NY, October 2019)
  • Panelist, “Hot Topics Roundtable: Sandmann v. The Washington Post,” Media Law Resource Center (April 2019)
  • Guest Lecturer, Defamation, Newsgathering, Pre-publication Review & Privacy, University of Miami School of Law (Miami, FL, April 2019)
  • Lead Panel Speaker, Reporter’s Privilege, ABA Forum on Communications Law Annual Conference (Miami, FL, February 2019)
  • Panel Speaker, Libel & Privacy, MLRC Media Law Conference (Reston, VA, September 2018)
  • Panel Speaker, Libel & Privacy, National Association of Hispanic Journalists International Training Conference (Miami, FL, July 2018)
  • Panel Speaker, “Tweeters Gone Wild: The Ethical and Legal Consequences of Robust & Unrestrained Speech by Litigants and Lawyers Addicted to Social Media,” 31st Annual Media and the Law Seminar (Kansas City, Missouri, May 2018)
  • Moderator, "Jogos Olimpicos de Verao de 2016 / Summer Olympics 2016: IP, Newsgathering and Content Challenges," Media Law Resource Center conference on Legal Issues Concerning Hispanic and Latin American Media (Miami, Florida, March 2016)

Publications

  • Author, Letter to a Young Media Lawyer, MLRC MediaLawLetter (February 2020).
  • Co-Author, Overbroad Victims’ Rights Laws Impede Access to Public Records, Communications Lawyer, (Summer 2019).
  • Co-author, Seeing Stars: Courts and Congress Consider Whether to Knock Out Online Ratings to Defamation Claims, Communications Lawyer, American Bar Association, Vol. 32, No. 3 (Fall 2016).
  • Co-Author, Mug Shots on Lockdown: Government and Citizen Backlash to "Exploitation" Websites Surges, Free Speech Is the Casualty, Communications Lawyer, June 2014.
  • Co-Author, Reporter's Privilege Compendium (Florida), Reporter’s Committee for Freedom of the Press (2010 - 2018).
  • Author, The Playground, Communications Lawyer (2009).
  • Author, Florida Supreme Court Extinguishes False Light, The Brechner Report (University of Florida) (2008).
  • Author, Lights out on False Light in Florida, MLRC MediaLawLetter (2008).
  • Co-Author, Court Clears FEMA's Cloud of Secrecy, The Brechner Report (University of Florida) (2007).
  • Co-Author, Florida Supreme Court Stops Secret Dockets Known as Super Sealers, MLRC MediaLawLetter (2007).
  • Co-Author, Recent Developments in Media, Privacy, and Defamation Law, 41 Tort Trial & Ins. Practice L.J. 2 (Winter 2006).
  • Author, Jury Rejects False Light Claim by Tampa Police Officer, The Brechner Report (University of Florida), (discussing Deanna’s and her law partners' successful defense of a television station and its reporter in a false light invasion of privacy trial) (November 2006).
  • Author, Perfect Storm Gives Way to Calm Seas for First Amendment Advocates (2006).
  • Co-Author, D.C. Circuit Denies Rehearing of Wen Ho Lee Contempt Citations, MLRC MediaLawLetter (November 2005).
  • Co-Author, D.C. Circuit Upholds Contempt Citations of Four Journalists in Wen Ho Lee Matter, MLRC MediaLawLetter (July 2005).
  • Co-Author, Florida Supreme Court Confirms that Misappropriation Statute Does Not Apply to "Perfect Storm," MLRC MediaLawLetter (April 2005).
  • Author, Florida Street Vendor Statute Declared Constitutional: Newspaper Vendors Told (Not) to Hit the Road, MLRC MediaLawLetter (August 2003).
  • Author, Judge Modifies Gag Order in Georgia Crematory Case, LDRC MediaLawLetter (March 2002).
  • Author, The Domain Name Game: Applying Trademark Principles to an Internet Tug of War, Computer Law Review (September 1999).
  • Author, Failure to Release Public Record Leads to Jail Time for Florida School Board Member, LDRC LibelLetter (July 1999).