Joe Meadows is a former DOJ trial attorney and current litigation partner with GRSM. He focuses on business and contract disputes, defamation, cyber-attacks and privacy matters. He has tried cases before judges and juries, arbitrated commercial disputes, and argued trial and appellate matters in federal and state courts.
Joe also focuses on intellectual property litigation matters. He has handled trademark and patent infringement cases in federal court and registration disputes before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. His practice includes counseling clients on the strategic use of intellectual property to achieve business goals.
- Represented technology and services businesses in TTAB disputes and patent infringement cases in the EDVA.
- Represented U.S. government contractors in defamation and tortious interference litigations in numerous state and federal courts.
- Represented start-up technology and healthcare companies in Virginia and Pennsylvania state and federal defamation cases against bloggers and short sellers.
- Represented former professional athletics team staff member in DC federal defamation case against team owner.
- Represented high-profile, former federal government officials in Maryland defamation cases against media.
- Represented high-profile, former intelligence officer in Massachusetts defamation and cyber-attack case against unknown John Does.
- Represented college teacher in defamation jury trial (DNJ), obtaining split verdict.
- Represented school system, religious organization, technology companies, and employers in Virginia, California, and Illinois state and federal defamation litigation defense matters.
- Counseled businesses and individuals in defamation, disparagement, false advertising, intellectual property, and privacy pre-litigation matters nationwide, involving competitors, disgruntled employees, unknown persons, and the media.
- Represented individual and company clients in litigation and settlement of DC metro-area business and partnership contract disputes.
- Defended U.S. government contractor in False Claims Act jury trial (EDVA) involving weapons matters, obtaining defense verdict.
- Defended various health care companies in dismissal or settlement of False Claims Act claims.
- Tried and won bankruptcy preference case (USBC D. Md.), recovering attorney’s fees and costs.
- Tried and won contested adoption matter for single parent, defending the win on appeal in the D.C. Court of Appeals.
- The Law of Defamation in Virginia (Fifth Edition), Virginia Law Foundation, 2022
- Courts test new frontier of defamation law as AI enters the mix, The Daily Record, 2025
- High Court Social Media Speech Ruling Could Implicate AI, Law360, March 6, 2024
- The U.S. Supreme Court Ended Debate on Whether Scienter Under the False Claims Act is Measured Under a Subjective or Objective Test. It’s a Subjective Test., June 2023
- Seven Tips for Negotiating with Hackers (or Anyone for that Matter), December 2021
- DC Circ. Lobbyist Ruling May Lead To 1st Amendment Clarity, Law360, January 15, 2021
- Are We Partners? Implied Partnerships Guide, January 12, 2021
- Why You Should Consider Opting for Arbitration During the Coronavirus Pandemic, American Bar Association – Practice Points, November 30, 2020
- Internet Defamation Guide, A Graphic Illustration, October 2020
- INSIGHT: Don’t Say This in the New Workplace, Bloomberg Law, June 15, 2020
- Small Business Reorganization Under the Cares Act and SBRA, and What that Means for Creditors, Bankruptcy Law News, Virginia State Bar, June 2020
- Understanding Gov’t Contractor Defamation Privilege, Law360, December 9, 2019
- 5 Tips on Protecting Articles, Blogs, or Posts from Defamation Liability, LinkedIn, May 16, 2019
- Internet Defamation Guide – 10 Questions to Spot or Avoid Online Defamation, LinkedIn, March 7, 2019
- Responding to a Cyber Reputation Attack: A Game Plan and a Digital Forensics Expert, American Bar Association’s Expert Witnesses Section of Litigation, November 2, 2017
- How State High Courts Are Reshaping Anti-SLAPP Laws, Law360, July 31, 2017
- What’s Next For Federal Anti-SLAPP Legislation, Law360, April 19, 2017
- When Is the Sale Price Not Equal to Fair Value?, American Bar Association’s Expert Witnesses Section of Litigation, February 21, 2017
- Six Steps to Protecting Your Reputation Online, Corporate Counsel, February 17, 2017
- Using Experts in Arbitration, American Arbitration Association’s Dispute Resolution Journal, Vol. 62, No. 1, April 2007
- Using Experts in Arbitration, Chapter 31, AAA Handbook on Arbitration Practice – Second Edition, December 2015
Speaking Engagements
- Court TV and Law & Crime Shows
- First Amendment Rights for AI Speech?, Podcast, D.C. Bar Communities Center, April 24, 2024
- Online Defamation: Defending Reputations and Speech in Cyberspace, Webcast, May 7, 2020
- Ask the Attorney, Call-in Radio Show, WVOW Radio | 101.9FM | 1290AM, February 26, 2020
- Virginia Lawmakers Aim To Crack Down On SLAPP Tourism, The Kojo Nnamdi Show with guest, Joe Meadows, On-Demand Recording, February 17, 2020
- Ask the Attorney, Call-In Radio Show, WVOW Radio | 101.9FM / 1290AM, February 12, 2020
- Business Education Series: Avoiding Liability for Social Media Postings, Reston, VA, October 9, 2019
- Internet Defamation, Arlington Rotary Club, Arlington, VA, July 11, 2019
- Internet Defamation: Defend Against Defamers and Cyber-attackers, Bean, Kinney & Korman, Arlington, VA, October 25, 2018
- Internet Defamation & Cyber-Attacks, Solo and Small Firms: Maximize Your Success, WV CLE, Morgantown, WV, September 21, 2018
Blog Posts
- Internet Defamation Guide (graphic illustration)
- COVID-19 Economic Relief Investigations: They Will Expose Some Businesses to Civil Liability, Business Insights, April 22, 2020
- Facial Recognition: Security Tool or Threat Vector?, Business Insights, June 6, 2019
- Win for Online Speech Sustained: U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Hear Hassell v. Yelp, Business Insights, January 23, 2019
- Internet Defamation Briefing, Business Insights, October 25, 2018
- Internet Defamation Guide – 10 Questions to Spot or Avoid Online Defamation, Business Insights, August 2, 2018
- Freedom of Speech or Freedom from Defamation? – 5 Takeaways from Yelp’s Recent Court Victory, Business Insights, July 18, 2018
Admissions
- Maryland
- District of Columbia
- Virginia
- U.S. District Court, District of Maryland
- U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia
- U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. and Fourth Circuits
- U.S. Tax Court
Memberships
- American Bar Association
- Section of Litigation
- Forum on Communications Law
- Expert Witness Committee, Former Editor
Education
- LL.M, with distinction, Georgetown University Law Center, 1998,
- J.D., Order of the Coif, West Virginia University College of Law, 1997
- B.S., cum laude, Wake Forest University, 1994