Jackson Walker successfully represented Houston-based litigation boutique Feldman & Feldman, P.C. in a defamation lawsuit filed by EasyKnock, Inc. The lawsuit, initiated in November 2021, centered around statements published on Feldman & Feldman’s website that warned consumers about EasyKnock’s home sale-leaseback business practices.
EasyKnock initially sought a temporary restraining order (TRO) to compel Feldman & Feldman to remove the allegedly defamatory statements from its website. This request, if granted, would have amounted to an unconstitutional prior restraint on free speech. Jackson Walker’s team, led by partners Chip Babcock and John K. Edwards, vigorously opposed this application. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas denied EasyKnock’s request for a TRO and expedited discovery, marking an early victory for Feldman & Feldman.
On January 27, 2025, U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks, Jr. dismissed EasyKnock’s claims without prejudice for lack of prosecution. This decision came after EasyKnock’s counsel withdrew from the case, the company announced its closure, and no new counsel appeared. The dismissal marked a significant victory for Feldman & Feldman, allowing them to maintain the consumer warning on their website.
The case is EasyKnock, Inc. and EK Real Estate Services of NY, LLC v. Feldman & Feldman, PC, Cristen Feldman, and David Feldman, No. 4:21-cv-03669, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. For more information about the case, see articles by Texas Lawyer and The Texas Lawbook (subscriptions may be required).
Meet Our Team
Charles L. Babcock is a nationally recognized trial and appellate attorney focused on bet-the-company litigation, First Amendment litigation, commercial litigation, intellectual property litigation, government investigations, media litigation, and appellate litigation. Outside of his practice, Chip is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the American Law Institute, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, the American Board of Trial Advocates, and the Litigation Counsel of America. He has also long served as a Research Fellow of CAIL and was elected as a trustee of CAIL in 2022. Over his career, Chip has received national acclaim among The Best Lawyers in America since 1991 and Chambers and Partners’ Chambers USA Guide since 2006. In addition to being named one of the “25 Greatest Texas Lawyers of the Past Quarter-Century” by Texas Lawyer in 2010, he earned the Ronald D. Secrest Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award from the Texas Bar Foundation in 2016 and the Karen H. Susman Jurisprudence Award by the Anti-Defamation League Southwest Region in 2018.
John K. Edwards is a trial lawyer focused on free speech rights under the First Amendment, media and entertainment, complex commercial and employment disputes, and government procurement. He counsels and represents non-media companies in matters affecting free speech rights, including business disparagement, tortious interference, and related speech-based claims, and alleged defamation in the workplace associated with internal investigations, alleged employee wrongdoing, employment references, and social media and blogging. He is a member of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, Media Law Resource Center’s Employment Law Committee, ABA Media, Privacy, and Defamation Law Committee Insurance Task Force, Texas Association of Broadcasters, and Texas Press Association.
Meet JW
Jackson Walker’s media law group is one of the most prominent in the country, representing major clients in the television, radio, newspaper, magazine, and publishing sectors. With more than 115 years of experience in media law, the firm handles litigation and transactional matters involving news content, employment, entertainment, intellectual property, advertising, and other related matters. To learn more about the firm’s experience defending First Amendment rights, visit the Trial & Appellate Litigation and Media Law practice pages.
