Michael Gottlieb, Blake Lively’s attorney, in her legal battle with Justin Baldoni, has drawn significant attention. As the case draws more public attention, many are curious about who he is and what role he is playing.
Here are more details.
Who is Michael Gottlieb?
Michael Gottlieb is the lead attorney representing Blake Lively in her high-profile legal battle against Justin Baldoni. Known as one of America’s top litigators, Gottlieb is a partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP. At the firm, he holds several key roles, including Chair of the Crisis Management Group and Co-Chair of both the Media & First Amendment and Strategic Motions & Appeals Practice Groups. Over his career, he has represented Fortune 50 companies, major financial institutions, tech startups, and foreign governments.
Currently, Gottlieb is handling Lively’s case after she filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Baldoni in December 2024. Baldoni countersued with a $400 million defamation claim targeting Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist Leslie Sloane. In a court document dated May 14, 2025, Freedman alleged that Lively pressured Taylor Swift to publicly support her and requested the pop star delete private messages. Freedman further claimed that Gottlieb contacted Swift’s legal team, warning that personal text messages might be released if Swift didn’t issue a supportive statement. Lively’s legal team has firmly denied these accusations.
In addition to these allegations, Gottlieb has openly criticized Baldoni’s legal strategy for attempting to involve unrelated celebrities like Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, and Swift. He described the subpoenas as irrelevant and a strategy to attract media attention. Speaking to People, Gottlieb emphasized, “It’s completely unclear what claims or defenses, in the case any of these celebrities… have any relevance to at all.”
Furthermore, Gottlieb previously confirmed that Lively will testify at trial, calling it the key moment for her to share her side. He said, ”The ultimate moment for a plaintiff’s story to be told is at trial. We expect that to be the case here [with Lively]. So we would, of course, expect her to be a witness at her trial.”
