Overview
Kara L. Gorycki is a partner at Nesenoff & Miltenberg, LLP and the leader of the firm’s Defamation practice. In her practice, Kara represents individuals in matters involving defamation, state Anti-SLAPP laws, the public’s right of access to court records in pseudonymous litigation and the right to free speech on college and university campuses. In 2024, on the eve of trial and after defeating the defendants’ summary judgment motion, Kara and her team successfully settled a nearly five-year long legal battle with a globally recognized streaming service in a libel case challenging the portrayal of her client in a docudrama. Kara continues to work tirelessly on behalf of clients who have been libeled, whether in film, print or online. She was a featured speaker at the 10th Annual Media and Entertainment Law Symposium at Fordham Law School, addressing “The Baby Reindeer Problem: Defamation in Hollywood.”
When not counseling clients on First Amendment issues, Kara represents students and faculty involved in Title IX disciplinary proceedings at academic institutions nationwide at all stages of the process including, when necessary, the filing of litigation to protect their rights. Kara has achieved significant outcomes in a number of Title IX actions involving novel and complex legal issues. Kara also represents employees, officers and directors in matters involving sexual harassment, gender and age discrimination in the workplace, helping them chart the best course for their cases both before and after a lawsuit has been filed.
Kara has been praised by clients as possessing a keen understanding of the challenges that individual clients personally face when navigating complex, emotionally fraught legal proceedings.
Kara received her J.D. from Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, where she served as a Managing Editor of the Hofstra Law Review. She received a B.A. in Psychology from College of the Holy Cross. Kara was nominated to the New York Metro SuperLawyers Rising Stars for four consecutive years, 2012-2015. She was also selected to the SuperLawyers list of The Top Women Attorneys in the New York Metro Area, 2014 and 2016.
Notable Work
LIBEL ACTION AGAINST GLOBAL STREAMING SERVICE: Lead attorney in libel action on behalf of well-known author, attorney and former prosecutor in defamation lawsuit against online streaming service, showrunner and writer of four-part streaming series, overcoming the defendants’ motion to dismiss and subsequent summary judgment motion on the issue of actual malice. A favorable settlement was reached on the eve of trial which required a disclaimer to be placed at the beginning of the series.
SOCIAL MEDIA/LIBEL: Obtained highly favorable settlement immediately after filing lawsuit on behalf of recent college graduate defamed on social media and a gaming platform.
CAMPUS SURVEY/LIBEL: Representation of college student defamed in online survey which falsely accused him, and other students, of sexual assault. Matter was settled prior to the close of discovery.
DEFAMATION/ABUSE OF PROCESS: Successfully defeated motion to dismiss abuse of process and other tort claims in libel action filed on behalf of individual falsely accused of sexual misconduct.
TITLE IX/TRAFFICKING: Successfully defeated motion to dismiss Trafficking Victims Protection Act claims brought against university and its employees on behalf of former member of cheerleading team.
TITLE IX: Represented male college student in first Title IX sex discrimination lawsuit to proceed to trial on an “erroneous outcome” theory of liability. The case settled shortly after college’s summary judgment motion was denied. This was the first of two cases that Kara successfully brought to trial against the same college.
EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION: Obtained highly favorable settlement immediately after filing sex discrimination lawsuit on behalf of female employee against nonprofit organization and its chief executive officer.
SUCCESSOR LIABILITY: Successfully argued appeal on behalf of commercial building owner in multi-million dollar contract dispute concerning designer footwear brand’s breach of its lease for a showroom and office space in an iconic Manhattan building. Appellate court reinstated building owner’s breach of contract claims against the companies that acquired the brand under the “mere continuation” exception to successor liability.
DISPUTE OVER BUILDING ACCESS: Obtained highly favorable, pre-trial settlement of action brought on behalf of commercial building owner against neighboring building owner that breached multi-million dollar agreement for payment of licensing fees for building access during construction project.
COMMERCIAL LANDLORD/TENANT DISPUTE: Obtained highly favorable settlement prior to the commencement of discovery in an action brought on behalf of a commercial building owner when law firm tenant failed to pay over $1 million in rent.
Education & Admissions
ADMISSIONS
- New York State
- S.D.N.Y.
- E.D.N.Y.
- N.D.N.Y.
- United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
EDUCATION:
- Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, Juris Doctor
- Managing Editor of Staff, Hofstra Law Review
- College of the Holy Cross, BA, Psychology
Media
- Statements from Linda Fairstein and Counsel Regarding Settlement of Defamation Case Against Netflix
- Netflix, Ava DuVernay Settle Defamation Lawsuit Over ‘When They See Us’
- Former Manhattan prosecutor settles defamation suit against Netflix, creators for portrayal in ‘When They See Us’ series
- Netflix Can’t Hide Behind Dramatization Ex-Prosecutor Says
- Netflix Must Face Ex Prosecutor’s Defamation Lawsuit
- Rudin Management Sues Times Square Candy Shop Owner For Breach of Contract
- Cheerleader Sues Northwestern University
- Northwestern Loses Bid To Trim Cheerleader Exploitation Suit
- Short Take: Grinnell’s Bad Bet on Ternus and the Cat’s Paw
- Grinnell College Student Sex Misconduct Case Could Go To Trial
- NY Law Firm Sued for Breaching Lease Owing Nearly $1M
