Willie Gary Press Releases


	April 7 2006
	April 7 2006
	March 24 2006
	March 24 2006
	March 17 2006
	February 14 2006
	January 24 2006
	December 9 2005
	December 6 2005
	November 23 2005
	November 8 2005
	October 21 2005
	October 3 2005
	September 26 2005
	August 12 2005
	July 29 2005
	June 17 2005
	June 7 2005
	June 7 2005
	June 1 2005
	May 20 2005
	May 13 2005
	May 6 2005
	May 2 2005
	April 29 2005
	March 4 2005
	February 25 2005
	February 11 2005
	December 10 2004
	October 8 2004

May 20, 2005

Willie Gary with Partner Madison McClellan and Team, File $600 Million Lawsuit Against Orlando Sentinel and the Tribune Company

Gary and Team Fight on Behalf of their Client, Dr. Michael Gutman after Orlando Sentinel Printed False and Defamatory Statements about Gutman

(left to right) Senior Partner Willie Gary, Donna Gutman, Dr. Michael Gutman, Partner Madison McClellan and Associate Attorney Charles Emanuel pose for photo during press conference in Orlando, Florida

Stuart, FL – Willie E. Gary and partner Madison McClellan, along with associate attorney Charles Emanuel, of the Florida-based law firm of Gary, Williams, Parenti, Finney, Lewis, McManus, Watson and Sperando P.L., recently filed a $600 million lawsuit on behalf their client, Dr. Michael Gutman. The suit was filed against the Orlando Sentinel Communications Company, Tribune Company, Tribune Publishing Company and reporters Rene Stutzman and Fred Schutle, individually.

The lawsuit claims that on November 30, 2004, the Orlando Sentinel published two articles centered on the alleged over-prescribing and abuse of prescription drugs, specifically the prescription drug OxyContin. The suit alleges that the Orlando Sentinel published false and defamatory statements that damaged the personal and professional reputation of Dr. Michael Gutman. Gary and his team contend the defamatory statements SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1 constitute defamation per se because they ascribe to Dr. Gutman’s illegal and unethical conduct that is incompatible with his professional practice of medicine. Moreover, the articles falsely implied that Dr. Gutman was responsible for the death of at least eleven of his former patients. Specifically, the articles stated that Manual Ruiz, a former patient of Dr. Gutman’s, died from an overdose of OxyContin prescribed by Dr. Gutman. Records, however, show that Dr. Gutman never prescribed OxyContin to Mr. Ruiz.

The lawsuit seeks $600 million in damages for Gutman’s future lost earnings stemming from his damaged professional reputation as well as for injuries to his personal reputation and mental anguish.

“Dr. Gutman worked many years to build his business and it was unfairly and unjustly sabotaged by the Orlando Sentinel,” commented Mc Clellan. “The general public trusts that the information they read in the news is true. The Orlando Sentinel has a responsibility to do its due diligence and accurately report the news. In this instance, the information reported was erroneous and as a result, damaged not only the personal and professional reputation of our client but the livelihood of an innocent man,” continued McClellan.

Dr. Gutman is one of the most prominent psychiatrists in Central Florida. He is a board certified Forensic Psychiatrist and one of 270 American Board of Psychiatry Diplomats. In 1972, Dr. Gutman was the co-founder of Thee Door of Central Florida, Inc., now known as the Center for Drug Free Living Inc., a highly respected drug and rehabilitation center known throughout the State of Florida.

Gary and McClellan are no strangers to seeking justice. They are noted for winning a $240 million jury verdict in Orange County against the Walt Disney Corporation for their clients who alleged Disney stole their idea for a sports theme park. Also, Gary and McClellan were awarded $18.28 million against the media conglomerate Gannett Company for the false portrayal of their client in a series of newspaper articles; the largest verdict against a media outlet in the Southeastern United States. In 2001, a jury awarded Gary and McClellan a $139.6 million verdict for the Maris Distributing Company against Anheuser Busch. In addition, Gary was given a half-billion dollar verdict in Jackson, Mississippi against the Loewen Group, a large Canadian funeral home chain.