Our client sued the defendant for defamation. The defendant, despite having had ample time, delayed filing its summary judgment motion beyond the filing deadline of at least 30 days prior to trial. We put forth a vehement opposition to have the motion denied based on what was clearly a failure of the defendant to adhere to procedural deadlines. The judge agreed and denied the defendant’s motion. In a slander case, the jury’s perception of the creditability of the witnesses is crucial. As such, it was a pivotal success to have the defendant’s motion denied and have the case adjudicated on the merits at trial rather than merely on the papers.