William Briggs, II
Partner, Litigation
Venable LLP
William Briggs has handled a number of high-profile matters within the entertainment industry over the last year. Most notably, in a groundbreaking ruling, a California Appellate Court affirmed the decision of a trial court to dismiss a lawsuit against actor and comedian Marlon Wayans alleging harassment and discrimination over a tweet comparing a movie extra to a cartoon character. In a 50-page opinion, the court examined the intersection between racial harassment and speech, and ruled on whether the word “nigga” is a racial epithet when spoken by a black man to another black man. The court resoundingly ruled that the word was not an epithet but instead was a term of endearment in the context in which it was used. This case has significant implications for the entertainment industry, allowing greater freedom in the writers’ room and on set.
