Expert analyzes alleged damages in high-profile defamation case

In August 2023, Joshua Wright, a former George Mason law professor and commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission, sued two former students and co-workers for more than $100 million in damages. In the case, Joshua Wright et al. v. Elyse Dorsey et al., Wright alleged that public statements made by the defendants about their personal relationships were defamatory and caused him to lose millions of dollars in consulting business.

On behalf of the defendants, Goodwin Proctor retained Scott Lobel to testify regarding the damages methodology proffered by Wright’s expert. His analysis identified critical flaws in the plaintiff’s damages analysis, including the assumptions underlying the calculations and the implementation of the analysis. Mr. Lobel’s analysis also showed that Wright’s expert could not link the alleged damages to the defendants’ statements and that his assumptions substantially exaggerated the calculated damages.

One defendant settled in March 2025 just days before trial for a tiny fraction of the alleged damages, which was paid by her insurance. Mr. Wright voluntarily dismissed the case against the other defendant on the eve of trial.

Mr. Lobel was supported by a team that included Bryant Hopkins, Christopher Stone, and Ben Wolfert.