They've just raised a $50 MM warchest. Having things like this out there will hurt their ability to raise more, so they're willing to pay to make it go away. There are enough statements are there that I wouldn't want to deal with the SLAPP suit. Bloomberg, on the other hand, can afford to defend the reporters.
Still, without any specific alleged falsehood, a libel defense need not be very expensive.
And lawsuits bring more attention to the allegations.
If you were preparing a suit for pure harassment/SLAPP purposes, what sections of this reporting would you highlight in your filing? Keep in mind, the court document will be pored over & commented-on by libel experts, & turn up in future searches about the company and its principals.
A libel defense to a SLAPP suit would be annoying to me personally. It would probably be filed across the country in some random rural court. Regardless of the merits, it require me to go in person to West Virginia or pay a lawyer to do so for me.
As for what to take objection with, I'm not sure. Probably something spinable like being compared to Steve Jobs (positive) and ending with "somehow not having checked off any of the milestones, metrics or other objective criteria they typically look for." But I don't think it's really going to turn up in any news stories anyway.
As for "poured over by libel experts". I have not idea who would do that or why.
