West Virginia partner Tom Hancock and associate Alex Frampton represented book author Bryan Mark Rigg in defeating a motion for injunction that would have stopped the sale of his recent book.

Hershel “Woody” Williams, the last living Marine Corps Medal of Honor winner from World War II, met Rigg while accompanying other veterans on a tour of Guam and Iwo Jima in 2015.  They had several conversations over the next few years about the possibility of collaborating for a book.

By 2018, there was a deterioration of Williams' and Rigg’s relationship, resulting in a “significant breakdown in communication” between the two. Williams alleged that Rigg failed and refused to provide subsequent drafts of the book. A federal judge denied the motion for a temporary restraining order.

Hancock said he was happy with the outcome.

“We are very pleased that the Court reached the right conclusion on this significant issue, vindicating Mr. Rigg’s First Amendment rights, and allowing us to continue publishing this important book,” Hancock, who works at Nelson Mullins in Huntington, told the West Virginia Record. “Freedom of speech is the cornerstone of our democracy, and we look forward to finishing our fight against the efforts to silence my client’s free speech and his ability to share what he has learned through his extensive research.”