Annie Leonard at the SLAPP Legal Defense Panel Discussion in Washington D.C.

The Center for Constitutional Rights, EarthRights International, Greenpeace USA, Stand.Earth, and Open Society Foundations panelists discuss the ways in which corporations are using SLAPP suits to silence their critics and how we can fight back. Moderator Annie Leonard, center, address the group as Katie Redford, right, and Deepa Padmanabha look on.

Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPP) is a tool used by corporations to chill critical speech and advocacy on matters of public interest. They have been used against organizations and activists from all sectors of civil society, and most recently, and aggressively used against environmental groups. The impact of the SLAPP goes far beyond the defendant group itself. SLAPP suits act as a warning to others: speak out against us and you too could find yourself in court.

Panelists included:
Rachel Meeropol, Senior Staff Attorney for the Center for Constitutional Rights, Counsel to Earth First! Journal in ETP v. Greenpeace; Katie Redford, Attorney and Director of EarthRights International, advisors and counsel in multiple SLAPP suits; Annie Leonard, Moderator, Executive Director, Greenpeace US which is defendant in SLAPP suits by Resolute and ETP; Deepa Padmanabha, Staff Attorney for Greenpeace US which is defendant in SLAPP suits by Resolute and ETP; Kizito Byenkya, Open Society Foundations; Todd Paglia, Executive Director, Stand.earth, defendant in SLAPP suit by Resolute Forest Products.