Elena M. Cortez
Partner
Defamation and false-light litigation, anti-SLAPP defense, and cross-border content removal.
- Bar Admissions
- ArizonaNevada
- Education
- J.D., Arizona State UniversityB.A., University of New Mexico
- Professional Memberships
- State Bar of ArizonaMaricopa County Bar Association
Overview
Elena Cortez handles the firm's defamation and false-light matters, including anti-SLAPP defence and cross-border content removal. She represents individuals and businesses responding to false statements published online, and advises on the difference between content that is actionable and content that is merely damaging.
Her cross-border work covers removal requests to hosts, registrars, and platforms outside the United States, where the operative mechanism is often the platform's own policy rather than a US statute. She counsels clients on the reputational cost of litigating a defamation claim before one is filed.
Skills & Capabilities
- Defamation and false-light litigation
- Anti-SLAPP motion practice
- Retraction and correction demands
- Cross-border content removal
- Jurisdictional and choice-of-law analysis
- Platform escalation
- Pre-publication review
- Settlement negotiation