Were this not Texas, were there not a state where there were no protections at all and where the law was clear on that, I think CBS and Mary Mapes and Dan Rather and all of us had a very good chance of winning. So this is an ongoing battle about an issue of principle.

Floyd Abrams is an American lawyer who is considered one of the preeminent First Amendment attorneys in the United States. He is known for representing major media organizations in cases involving freedom of the press, including The New York Times in the Pentagon Papers case, as well as representing individuals in cases involving freedom of speech and expression. Throughout his career, Abrams has argued numerous cases before the United States Supreme Court and has been involved in some of the most prominent First Amendment cases of the last several decades. He is currently a senior counsel at Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP in New York.