Experienced defamation attorney joins Higher Ed and Commercial Litigation practices at Saul Ewing’s Phila. office

An experienced litigator who has represented media companies in

defamation actions and colleges and universities in similar matters has joined the 260-lawyer firm Saul Ewing.

The law firm announced earlier this month that attorney Robert C. Clothier, a graduate of both Princeton University and the University of Chicago Law School, would be resident in its Philadelphia office, one of 11 locations along the East Coast.

Clothier is joining Saul Ewing as a partner in the Higher Education and Commercial Litigation practices.

“Colleges and universities rely on Bob to handle challenging legal problems not only in the courtroom, but frequently before situations escalate to the litigation stage,” Joseph F. O’Dea, Jr., chair of the firm’s Commercial Litigation Practice, said in a statement. “He is well known and respected in higher education circles in Pennsylvania and his experience will add to our firm’s capabilities to serve this industry.”

Clothier has experience representing educational institutions in federal and state court matters relating to defamation, privacy, employment and discrimination, and copyright and trademark issues.

He also provides higher education clients with guidance on governance issues and conducts investigations on their behalf, according to Saul Ewing.

Clothier also represents journalists, newspapers, media organizations and other similar clients in defamation, invasion of privacy and copyright and trademark lawsuits and related matters.

He also helps news reporters gain access to government documents and subpoenas seeking journalists’ notes and job-related materials.

Clothier has a background in First Amendment law and draws on that experience to provide legal advice to higher education facilities on faculty, student and visitor speech matters, according to his professional biography.

The bio says that Clothier also serves as an occasional guest lecturer on First Amendment, media and defamation issues at law schools in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, including Drexel University School of law and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, both located in Philadelphia, and Fordham Law School in New York City.

Clothier also regularly speaks at conferences and seminars, including those sponsored by the National Association of College and University Attorneys, the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, the Anti-Defamation league and Philadelphia’s Temple University.