Jonathan R. Little, Partner
Birmingham
|
205-581-0741 phone
|
205-581-0799 fax
|
jlittle@lightfootlaw.com
Biography
Courtroom. Compromise. Whatever the goal, Jonathan Little loves going to battle for his clients.
“The shortest answer is doing the thing.” — Ernest Hemingway
Jonathan excels at “doing the thing” to achieve his clients’ goals. As the beneficiary of courtroom experience early in his career, Jonathan has successfully briefed and argued motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, and, when appropriate, successfully settled and tried cases for his clients. Whether through research and writing, or arguing on his feet, Jonathan takes pride in zealous advocacy and loves “doing the thing” to find a solution for his clients’ litigation problems.
A significant portion of Jonathan’s practice is devoted to representing statewide, national, and international media and communications companies. In this area, Jonathan represents journalists, newspapers, broadcasters and media companies in matters ranging from defamation and invasion of privacy lawsuits to First Amendment, censorship, public records and government access claims. He also routinely defends companies in product liability, fire and personal injury litigation.
Making use of his background in economics and banking, Jonathan also represents clients in commercial and securities litigation. Not one to back down from a fight, Jonathan has secured appellate victories for his clients at the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals, the Alabama Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.
A member of the firm’s Hiring Committee and chair of the Summer Associate Program, Jonathan participates in the committee’s efforts to bring only the best talent to Lightfoot. Outside of the office, Jonathan enjoys spending time at the lake with his wife, Katie, sons Jack, Sam, George and Shep, and extended family, fishing with bobbers and worms and jumping off the dock to see who can make the biggest splash. According to sources, Jonathan usually makes the biggest splash.
Representative Matters
- Obtaining a complete defense summary judgment in the Alabama Court for Civil Appeals in a contentious cemetery outrage case. The plaintiff’s estate asserted claims of outrage, wantonness, negligence and trespass related to the alleged desecration of burial spaces. After successfully obtaining summary judgment on all counts, the trial court subsequently affirmed this decision against the estate’s motion for reconsideration.
- Securing a complete dismissal of defamation claims against a broadcasting company. Our innovative approach involved persuading the judge to assess the sufficiency of the plaintiff’s grounds prior to reaching summary judgment. This strategic move led to the judge dismissing the suit in its entirety, setting a precedent for similar cases in media law.
- Securing summary judgment on behalf of an NBC affiliate to dismiss a series of defamation and fraud claims against the NBC affiliate regarding its reporting on charges against a criminal defendant. The Alabama Supreme Court upheld the summary judgment ruling on appeal.
- Securing summary judgment on behalf of a global online news outlet, dismissing claims that reporters and editors from that outlet knowingly published defamatory statements in its coverage of the rape and subsequent suicide of a college student in Alabama.
- Briefing, arguing and ultimately winning a Rule 12(b)(6) dismissal of a defamation lawsuit filed by a public offical against a print and online media company.
- Briefing, arguing and ultimately winning a motion to quash in Alabama federal court to successfully keep journalists from being compelled to testify in lethal injection protocol litigation.
- Obtaining summary judgment on all claims, including agency and res ipsa loquitur, in favor of a national cemetery and property service company in Alabama state court, which was affirmed on appeal.
- Obtaining victory on appeal to the Alabama Supreme Court to compel the plaintiff to arbtiration, reversing the trial court’s holding that the arbitration provision was unconscionable.
- Securing a Rule 12(b)(6) dismissal of federal antitrust claims against a national cemetery and property service company in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
- Serving as second-chair during arbitration in which a former employee sought $10 million in damages against a national provider of insurance and investment products and services. Obtained complete judgment for defense.
- Winning emergency injunctive relief on behalf of an online and print media organization resulting in the release of more than 7,700 pages of public records relating to a fatality during the Terminal Modernization Project at the Birmingham International-Shuttlesworth Airport.
- Briefing, arguing and ultimately winning a motion to enforce a forum-selection clause requiring suit in Prince George’s County, Maryland, on behalf of a Maryland manufacturer.
- Briefing, arguing and ultimately winning a motion to quash a subpoena seeking the disclosure of the identities of anonymous commenters on an online news story.
News
Presentations and Publications
Addressed school groups from across the state regarding various First Amendment issues related to print and digital media, Alabama Scholastic Press Association State Convention, (2015)
Co-presenter, led discussion on current First Amendment topics in areas such as defamation, publication torts and Section 230 Immunity, MLRC/NAA/NAB Media Law Conference, (2014)
Addressed undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Journalism, University of Alabama Free Speech Week, (2014)
|
Legal Assistant
Bio 
Courtroom. Compromise. Whatever the goal, Jonathan Little loves going to battle for his clients.
“The shortest answer is doing the thing.” — Ernest Hemingway
Jonathan excels at “doing the thing” to achieve his clients’ goals. As the beneficiary of courtroom experience early in his career, Jonathan has successfully briefed and argued motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, and, when appropriate, successfully settled and tried cases for his clients. Whether through research and writing, or arguing on his feet, Jonathan takes pride in zealous advocacy and loves “doing the thing” to find a solution for his clients’ litigation problems.
A significant portion of Jonathan’s practice is devoted to representing statewide, national, and international media and communications companies. In this area, Jonathan represents journalists, newspapers, broadcasters and media companies in matters ranging from defamation and invasion of privacy lawsuits to First Amendment, censorship, public records and government access claims. He also routinely defends companies in product liability, fire and personal injury litigation.
Making use of his background in economics and banking, Jonathan also represents clients in commercial and securities litigation. Not one to back down from a fight, Jonathan has secured appellate victories for his clients at the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals, the Alabama Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.
A member of the firm’s Hiring Committee and chair of the Summer Associate Program, Jonathan participates in the committee’s efforts to bring only the best talent to Lightfoot. Outside of the office, Jonathan enjoys spending time at the lake with his wife, Katie, sons Jack, Sam, George and Shep, and extended family, fishing with bobbers and worms and jumping off the dock to see who can make the biggest splash. According to sources, Jonathan usually makes the biggest splash.
Experience
Representative Matters
Obtaining a complete defense summary judgment in the Alabama Court for Civil Appeals in a contentious cemetery outrage case. The plaintiff’s estate asserted claims of outrage, wantonness, negligence and trespass related to the alleged desecration of burial spaces. After successfully obtaining summary judgment on all counts, the trial court subsequently affirmed this decision against the estate’s motion for reconsideration.
Securing a complete dismissal of defamation claims against a broadcasting company. Our innovative approach involved persuading the judge to assess the sufficiency of the plaintiff’s grounds prior to reaching summary judgment. This strategic move led to the judge dismissing the suit in its entirety, setting a precedent for similar cases in media law.
Securing summary judgment on behalf of an NBC affiliate to dismiss a series of defamation and fraud claims against the NBC affiliate regarding its reporting on charges against a criminal defendant. The Alabama Supreme Court upheld the summary judgment ruling on appeal.
Securing summary judgment on behalf of a global online news outlet, dismissing claims that reporters and editors from that outlet knowingly published defamatory statements in its coverage of the rape and subsequent suicide of a college student in Alabama.
Briefing, arguing and ultimately winning a Rule 12(b)(6) dismissal of a defamation lawsuit filed by a public offical against a print and online media company.
Briefing, arguing and ultimately winning a motion to quash in Alabama federal court to successfully keep journalists from being compelled to testify in lethal injection protocol litigation.
Obtaining summary judgment on all claims, including agency and res ipsa loquitur, in favor of a national cemetery and property service company in Alabama state court, which was affirmed on appeal.
Obtaining victory on appeal to the Alabama Supreme Court to compel the plaintiff to arbtiration, reversing the trial court’s holding that the arbitration provision was unconscionable.
Securing a Rule 12(b)(6) dismissal of federal antitrust claims against a national cemetery and property service company in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
Serving as second-chair during arbitration in which a former employee sought $10 million in damages against a national provider of insurance and investment products and services. Obtained complete judgment for defense.
Winning emergency injunctive relief on behalf of an online and print media organization resulting in the release of more than 7,700 pages of public records relating to a fatality during the Terminal Modernization Project at the Birmingham International-Shuttlesworth Airport.
Briefing, arguing and ultimately winning a motion to enforce a forum-selection clause requiring suit in Prince George’s County, Maryland, on behalf of a Maryland manufacturer.
Briefing, arguing and ultimately winning a motion to quash a subpoena seeking the disclosure of the identities of anonymous commenters on an online news story.
News & Insights
News
Presentations and Publications
Addressed school groups from across the state regarding various First Amendment issues related to print and digital media, Alabama Scholastic Press Association State Convention, (2015)
Co-presenter, led discussion on current First Amendment topics in areas such as defamation, publication torts and Section 230 Immunity, MLRC/NAA/NAB Media Law Conference, (2014)
Addressed undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Journalism, University of Alabama Free Speech Week, (2014)
Education
Washington & Lee University School of Law
(J.D.)
University of Alabama
(M.A.)
University of Alabama
(B.S.)
Professional Organizations
Birmingham Bar Association — Young Lawyers Section, Executive Board member
Defense Research Institute (DRI)
Downtown YMCA, Advisory Board member
Freshwater Land Trust, Junior Board member
Washington & Lee University Alumni Association, Birmingham Chapter, Board member
Washington & Lee University School of Law — Young Alumni Council
Awards
Birmingham Business Journal, “Birmingham NextGen: Rising Stars of Law” (2020)
The Best Lawyers in America© "Ones to Watch" by BL Rankings— Commercial Litigation, Communications Law, Mass Tort Litigations/Class Actions, Personal Injury Litigation, Product Liability Litigation (2021-2023)
The Best Lawyers in America© by BL Rankings — Mass Tort Litigations/Class Actions, Personal Injury Litigation (2024)
Mid-South Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, “Rising Star” — Litigation Defense (2016-23)
|
