Minneapolis, MN commercial litigation attorney Andrew Parker talks about the defamation cases brought against Mike Lindell, the CEO of My Pillow. The firm represents Mike Lindell, known as “the pillow guy,” and has been working with him since before his lawsuits with Dominion Voting Systems. Lindell has raised concerns about potential inaccuracies in vote tabulation machines, suggesting they could be manipulated or hacked without detection. In response, several voting machine companies sued Lindell for defamation, citing his claims that their systems are vulnerable to interference. Three major cases were filed against Lindell and his company, MyPillow: one in Washington, D.C., by Dominion Voting Systems; another in Minnesota by Smartmatic Corporation; and a third in Colorado by an individual, also alleging defamation.

In managing these high-profile lawsuits, which collectively involve billions in claims, the legal team has deepened its understanding of the election systems used across the U.S. They have examined security measures and vulnerabilities to assess whether Lindell had a good-faith basis for his statements. These cases also explore the intersection of First Amendment rights and defamation law, especially as it pertains to Lindell’s right to question entities performing government-like functions. The team argues that because these companies are involved in counting votes—a core democratic function—they could be considered quasi-governmental actors and thus subject to scrutiny under the First Amendment.

The legal team has also analyzed the boundary between protected free speech and defamation, focusing on “actual malice,” the standard for public figures in defamation law. Under this standard, false statements about public figures are permissible unless made with knowledge of their falsity or with reckless disregard for the truth. This nuanced issue sits at the edge of First Amendment protections and defamation restrictions—a line the U.S. Supreme Court is now examining. Positioned at the forefront of First Amendment and defamation work, the firm remains actively engaged in this evolving legal landscape.