J. Douglas Baldridge was recognized by AmLaw Litigation Daily as a “Litigator of the Week” on August 18, 2017, for successfully defending Taylor Swift in a case against a former radio host.
In a case that has garnered worldwide media attention, Mr. Baldridge along with Danielle Foley, and Katherine Wright, achieved complete victory for singer Taylor Swift, her mother Andrea Swift, and a member of her management team, Frank Bell, in a civil lawsuit over an incident that occurred at a 2013 promotional event that involved Ms. Swift and then radio disc jockey David Mueller. Mr. Baldridge served as first chair during the six-day trial, providing both the opening and closing arguments. Ms. Swift alleged that, during a photo opportunity with Mr. Mueller, he grabbed her bare buttocks under her skirt. Ms. Swift reported the incident to her team, who then contacted the radio station that employed Mr. Mueller and reported the incident. The radio station fired Mr. Mueller two days later, following their own investigation.
“Man, what a ride,” Baldridge said. “After 30 years, you kind of know how to try a case. But here, there was so much going on outside the courtroom, it added a whole new dimension. We were on trial every waking moment. It was a brand-new experience to walk out of court every day and have an extraordinary number of reporters and cameras in your face.”
He kept his cool—and declined comment—throughout the trial. “I didn’t say a word until we had the win,” he said. “What I had to do was try it and win it inside the courtroom. That’s what I do. I’m not an outside-the-courtroom guy.”