Robert S. Rifkind, a prominent lawyer who successfully defended Time magazine against a libel suit by Ariel Sharon, has died at the age of 88. Rifkind played a key role in the case, which centered around Time's reporting on a 1983 massacre in Lebanon. While a jury found that Time had misrepresented Sharon's role in the massacre, it concluded that the reporting did not meet the legal threshold for libel. The case had significant political implications and impact on the media industry. Rifkind was also involved in other major cases, including a successful defense of the Voting Rights Act and arguing before the Supreme Court.