Famed Attorney Willie Gary with Partner Manuel Socias and Team File Multi-Million Dollar Lawsuit Against Orlando's WFTV Channel 9 and Cox Broadcasting

26 March 2006

Prominent attorney Willie E. Gary and partner Manuel Socias, along with associate attorney Charles Emanuel of the Florida-based law firm of Gary, Williams, Parenti, Finney, Lewis, McManus, Watson and Sperando, P.L., announced today that they filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit (Case # 06-CA-2440) on behalf of their client, Dr. Thomas Trevisani. The suit was filed in the 9th Judicial Circuit Court of Orange County, against Orlando's WFTV Channel 9, reporter Barbara West and Cox Broadcasting, Inc.

The lawsuit claims that in late 2002 and early 2003, WFTV Channel 9 broadcast several news segments centered on Trevisani and his plastic surgery practice. The suit alleges that WFTV Channel 9 broadcast false and defamatory statements that damaged Trevisani's personal and professional reputation. Gary and his team contend the defamatory statements constitute defamation per se because they ascribe to Trevisani's illegal and unethical conduct that is incompatible with Trevisani's professional practice. The lawsuit seeks multi- millions in damages for Trevisani's future lost earnings stemming from his damaged business reputation, as well as for injuries to his personal reputation and mental anguish.

"Dr. Trevisani worked many years to build his business and it was unfairly and unjustly sabotaged by the reports that aired on Channel 9 News," commented Gary. "WFTV has a responsibility to do its due diligence and accurately report the news. The general public trusts that what they see on the news is true. In this instance, the information reported was erroneous and as a result, damaged not only the personal and professional reputation of our client, but the livelihood of an innocent man," continued Gary.

Gary is no stranger to seeking justice. The firm is noted for winning a $240 million jury verdict in Orange County against the Walt Disney Corporation for their clients who alleged Disney stole their idea for a sports theme park. Also, Gary was awarded $18.28 million against the media conglomerate Gannett Company for the false portrayal of their client in a series of newspaper articles, the largest verdict against a media outlet in the southeastern United States. In 2001, a jury awarded Gary a $139.6 million verdict for the Maris Distributing Company against Anheuser Busch. In addition, Gary was given a half-billion dollar verdict in Jackson, Mississippi against the Loewen Group, a large Canadian funeral home chain.

Source: prnewswire

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