Texas Supreme Court Confirms Broad Scope Of Anti-SLAPP Law

Back in late 2015, I wrote a five-part series on the Expanding Scope of the TCPA or Texas' Anti-SLAPP law. The Supreme Court of Texas confirmed our analysis last week with its decision in the ExxonMobil v. Coleman confirming that Anti-SLAPP protections can and do apply to internal corporate communications when there is a defamation claim.

ANTI-SLAPP 101

The Texas Anti-SLAPP law is known as the Texas Citizens Participation Act (the "TCPA" found at Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code at § 27.001, et seq.).

"If a legal action is based on, relates to, or is in response to a party's exercise of the right of free speech, right to petition, or right of association, that party may file a motion to dismiss the legal action." Id. at 27.003(a). A defendant invoking the TCPA must therefore show three elements by a preponderance of the evidence: (1) there is a legal action; (2) "based on, relates to, or is in response to"; and (3) one of the protected activities.

"[A] court shall dismiss a legal action against the moving party if the moving party shows by a preponderance of the evidence that the legal action is based on, relates to, or is in response to the party's exercise of: (1) the right of free speech; (2) the right to petition; or (3) the right of association." Id. at 27.005(b).

The Dallas Court of Appeals ruled no "public concern" in internal communications

In 2015, the Dallas Court of Appeals held that the law did not apply...