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A Texas judge on Wednesday greenlit a defamation lawsuit against Elon Musk to proceed, dismissing a request to sanction prominent attorney Alex Spiro, who represents Musk. Judge Maria Cantu Hexsel denied a motion to dismiss the Travis County lawsuit, brought by plaintiff Benjamin Brody, which alleged that Musk falsely implied Brody’s involvement in a right-wing street brawl in Oregon on Musk’s social media platform.
Brody’s legal team, led by Mark Bankston, had requested sanctions against Spiro, citing his participation in a virtual deposition despite lacking a Texas law license and explicit court approval. However, the judge rejected the sanctions bid and affirmed Spiro’s representation of Musk in the case. Spiro and his firm, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, declined to comment on the decision.
The dispute between Brody and Musk’s legal teams escalated during the March deposition, with both sides accusing each other of unprofessional behavior. Spiro, a long-time legal representative for Musk, has handled various high-profile cases involving Musk, including matters with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
