Charles D Tobin

Practice Areas

Charles D. Tobin is a litigator, former journalist, and the Practice Leader of Ballard Spahr's Media and Entertainment Law Group. He defends the media in libel and privacy lawsuits in state and federal trial and appellate courts throughout the country. He conducts prepublication content review and advises clients on subpoenas, access and privilege issues, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, copyright matters, and First Amendment rights.

Chuck also represents businesses in matters involving unfair competition, disparagement, and false advertising. He helps digital media clients respond to takedown requests, develop terms of use and privacy policies, and fend off subpoenas seeking the identities of anonymous posters. In addition, he advises media clients on the developing laws regulating drone use.

Prior to entering private practice, Chuck spent eight years as in-house counsel at Gannett, which owns print and digital media outlets across the country—including USA TODAY. He has taught media law and ethics at George Washington University and the University of North Florida and, before entering law school, was a reporter for The News-Press in Fort Myers, Florida.

Career

Admissions:

District of Columbia

Florida

Virginia

U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland

U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

U.S. Court of Federal Claims

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida

U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

U.S. Supreme Court

Professional Memberships

Member, National Press Club Journalism Institute Board of Directors

Past Chair, American Bar Association Forum on Communications Law

American Bar Association, Litigation Section, Senior Editor, Litigation Journal

Past Chair, District of Columbia Bar Association Media Law Committee

Past Chair, Florida Bar Media and Communications Law Committee

Past President, Media Law Resource Center, Defense Counsel Section

Advisory Board, Indiana University Center for Media Law and Policy

Advisory Board, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications

Publications

Co-author, "Florida Federal Court Releases Redacted Warrant Affidavit in Unprecedented Search of Former President Trump’s Florida Residence," MLRC MediaLawLetter, September 2022

Co-author, "Maryland "Broadcast Ban" is Unconstitutional as Applied to NPR Podcast," MLRC MediaLawLetter, October 2021

Co-author, "Chief Judge Rejects Government's Security Argument in Request for Capitol Riots Video," MLRC MediaLawLetter, September 2021

Co-author, "Trump Campaign Admits Defeat (In Wisconsin Defamation Case Against Local Broadcaster)," MLRC, December 2020

Co-author, "Trump Administration Releases Data on "Colossal" COVID Loan Programs," MLRC MediaLawLetter, November 2020

Co-author, "Coronavirus Tests the Commitment to Government Transparency," American Bar Association's Litigation Journal, Summer 2020

"Message to Newer Litigators: Don’t Just Wait by the Phone," American Bar Association's Litigation Journal, Winter 2020

Personal

University of Florida (J.D., with honors); University of Florida (B.S., Journalism, with high honors)