Press Release - Texas Association of Broadcasters Honors Sedgwick Attorney

July 2007

Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold LLP announced that the Texas Association of Broadcasters (TAB) honored Sedgwick Partner Laura Prather for her "outstanding efforts in the continuing battle to pass the Texas Free Flow of Information Act." The legislation would allow the media to protect the identity of whistleblowers, who risk professional and personal retribution for exposing corporate or government malfeasance. TAB is the largest state broadcast association in the nation, representing more than 1,100 radio and television stations. 

"Since there is currently minimal legal protection for whistleblowers, companies only need to obtain a simple subpoena to discover the name of a source," said Prather. "Consequently, potential whistleblowers do not come forward, and the public suffers while corruption and malfeasance go unchecked."

Prather chaired a committee to work on passing the legislation and also drafted and negotiated much of the legislation, which passed unanimously out of the Senate and House committees and with a resounding 27-4 vote out of the full Senate. In the final week of the legislative session, the bill was killed on a technicality on the House floor. Prather will continue her work and embark on the process again in 2009.

"Laura Prather's incredible legal prowess and passion to protect the media industry make her the perfect recipient of this award," said Neil Rambin, Managing Partner of the firm's Dallas office. "I am proud to work alongside her, and continue to be impressed by her tireless efforts to improve the media's ability to expose dangerous situations which would otherwise remain hidden." 

An active member of TAB's Legislative Affairs Committee for more than a decade, Prather currently serves as the associate member representative on its board of directors, and in 2005 was awarded the TAB Special President's Award for her contributions to the broadcast industry.

In addition to her work with TAB, she serves as lead counsel to the Legislative Advisory Committee of the Texas Daily Newspaper Association and the Texas Press Association. She is the vice president of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, serves as co-chair of the American Bar Association's First Amendment and Media Litigation Committee, and is on the board of directors for public television station KLRU.

Prather's practice, based in the firm's Austin office, is concentrated at the trial and appellate level in commercial and business litigation, open government issues, First Amendment litigation, copyright and trademark litigation, and privacy concerns. She received her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law, with honors, and her B.B.A. from the University of Texas, with highest honors.