Sheppard's Brand and Reputation Management practice secured a complete appellate victory for Texas attorney Tony Buzbee and The Buzbee Law Firm in a highly publicized lawsuit brought by American music mogul Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter. Carter's suit arose from pre-litigation demand letters and public statements relating to sexual assault allegations against Carter and Sean "Diddy" Combs. The California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, affirmed the dismissal of all claims against Buzbee and his firm.
In June 2025, Judge Mark H. Epstein of the Los Angeles County Superior Court granted defendants' special motion to strike under California's anti-SLAPP statute and dismissed Carter's claims for extortion, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The court held that the challenged demand letters were protected pre-litigation communications subject to the litigation privilege and did not constitute extortion, and further concluded that Carter failed to establish the elements necessary to proceed on his defamation claims.
On September 9, 2026, the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Two affirmed the dismissal in its entirety. The appellate court agreed that the demand letters were protected pre-litigation communications, held that the litigation privilege barred the extortion-based claims, found that Carter failed to establish a viable defamation claim, and upheld the trial court's evidentiary and discovery rulings.
"This decision is a complete vindication for our clients," said Camille Vasquez, who led the Sheppard team. "From the outset, we maintained that these demand letters were precisely what California law protects: zealous pre-litigation advocacy on behalf of clients seeking to be heard. Both the trial court and the Court of Appeal agreed, unanimously and unequivocally. We are pleased with this result, and we are grateful to Judge Epstein and to the justices of the Second Appellate District for their careful and thorough consideration of these important issues."
The Sheppard team representing Buzbee and his firm was led by partners Camille Vasquez, Samuel Moniz, Valerie Alter and Jessica Meyers, and included J. Randall Boyer, Melissa Mikail and Honieh Udenka.
The appeal is Shawn Carter v. The Buzbee Law Firm et al., Case No. B347898, in the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Two. Read the opinion here.
In June 2025, Judge Mark H. Epstein of the Los Angeles County Superior Court granted defendants' special motion to strike under California's anti-SLAPP statute and dismissed Carter's claims for extortion, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The court held that the challenged demand letters were protected pre-litigation communications subject to the litigation privilege and did not constitute extortion, and further concluded that Carter failed to establish the elements necessary to proceed on his defamation claims.
On September 9, 2026, the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Two affirmed the dismissal in its entirety. The appellate court agreed that the demand letters were protected pre-litigation communications, held that the litigation privilege barred the extortion-based claims, found that Carter failed to establish a viable defamation claim, and upheld the trial court's evidentiary and discovery rulings.
"This decision is a complete vindication for our clients," said Camille Vasquez, who led the Sheppard team. "From the outset, we maintained that these demand letters were precisely what California law protects: zealous pre-litigation advocacy on behalf of clients seeking to be heard. Both the trial court and the Court of Appeal agreed, unanimously and unequivocally. We are pleased with this result, and we are grateful to Judge Epstein and to the justices of the Second Appellate District for their careful and thorough consideration of these important issues."
The Sheppard team representing Buzbee and his firm was led by partners Camille Vasquez, Samuel Moniz, Valerie Alter and Jessica Meyers, and included J. Randall Boyer, Melissa Mikail and Honieh Udenka.
The appeal is Shawn Carter v. The Buzbee Law Firm et al., Case No. B347898, in the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Two. Read the opinion here.