A recent Forbes story, “Roger Goodell Seeks Attorney’s Fees and Discovery Stay in Jonathan Vilma’s Defamation Suit,” reports that the National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell filed a motion to dismiss in a defamation suit filed by New Orleans Saints player Jonathan Vilma and to strike Vilma’s complaint pursuant to the Louisiana Anti-SLAPP Statute.  SLAPP stands for “Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation.”

Certain states, including Louisiana, have explicitly sought to curb the filing of such lawsuits by enacting anti-SLAPP statutes.  If Commissioner Goodell is able to prove that the claims asserted against him arose from an act in furtherance of the exercise of his right of petition or free speech under Louisiana or the U.S. Constitution in connection with the alleged bounty scheme (certainly considered a public issue) and Vilma is not capable of demonstrating a probability of success on the merits of his defamation action, then Commissioner Goodell shall be awarded reasonable attorney fees and costs.

It would be fair to say that Goodell has hired attorneys who bill at a very high hourly rate and do not skimp on the amount of time they appropriate to their research and drafting.  However, if Vilma is able to defeat Commissioner’s Goodell’s motion to dismiss based on Louisiana’s Anti-SLAPP statute, Vilma could be entitled to recoup his own attorney fees and costs.