"Failing to adequately understand the relevant defamation laws can result in disastrous outcomes for litigants—like Dfinity Foundation in its lawsuit against The Times," Lopez said in an email. "The days of claiming anyone can sue anyone for anything someone said against them are long gone."

Javier A. Lopez, a shareholder at Vedder Price in the Am Law 200 firm's Miami office who is an expert not involved in the matter, said that defamation and First Amendment work in the anti-SLAPP era and current legal climate is a minefield that needs to be expertly navigated.