Michael Grygiel

Michael J. Grygiel is a partner and chair of Foley Hoag’s First Amendment and Media practice. Michael’s practice focuses on media and First Amendment law, particularly in defending media organizations and entertainment companies against newsgathering and publication-related claims such as defamation, copyright infringement and invasion of privacy matters. He also represents clients in Lanham Act, trade secret and Internet-related litigation and counsel.

Michael has represented media/entertainment and other clients in bet-the-company litigation in defamation, invasion of privacy, and other matters and has also represented media clients in litigation involving applications for access to civil and criminal court proceedings and records, including freedom of information law cases in both federal and state courts.

Michael has represented clients in state and federal courts across the country, including New York, California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

In addition to his experience in private practice, Michael served as Assistant General Counsel at the University of Vermont in Burlington and as Director of the Arthur Levitt Public Policy Center at his alma mater, Hamilton College.

Michael holds an adjunct faculty appointment at Cornell Law School where he teaches in the First Amendment Clinic, and also serves as the personal attorney for several prominent professional athletes.