I can't think of any - I know that having been sued (OK it was my start-up, but I took it rather personally) and it was incredibly stressful and at the start I nearly replied to the other side with communications trying to naively "sort things out" that could have made things even worse.
My stress levels decreased hugely when all communication was put into the hands of our lawyers - and it was eventually resolved with both sides walking away and paying their own expenses, which wasn't great as we had done nothing wrong but was probably the least worst option.
Honestly - if someone raises a legal action against you - talk to a lawyer who specializes in the relevant area and do what they tell you, which is likely to include no public statement without their approval.
Exactly. The desire for communication with the public is mostly based on emotion, not on a rational decision. Lawyers give you rational advice.
Having been involved in a lawsuit last year, even after I won, I still don't dare to publicly talk about it for fear or repercussions. I simply ask myself: what do I have to gain, and what do I have to lose?
Usually the risks and impact of the things I have to lose outweigh the things I have to gain, and it's a good way of making myself shut up.
For criminal matters, the short answer is, never. See Don't Talk to the Police. [1]. You want a defense attorney to handle this.
For civil matters, although IANAL I think similar reasons apply, so similar answer: Don't Talk to the Public. If you're truly famous enough to need to break this rule, then you need an attorney who specializes in high-profile cases like this.
Edit: By "cases like this", I mean an actor or athlete level of celebrity. Probably not John Carmack, despite how famous and awesome he may be within our circles. Really, the smartest thing is to just "shut up". Even though a false accusation is a genuine personal violation and you want to defend yourself, the best defense usually won't be DIY.
Maybe when your position largely depends on the public opinion and will be taken from you before you have a chance to have a trial. Maybe there is no pattern but elected officials, rock stars, often cry out their innocence when being accused of something, while having great lawyers.
Perhaps if you can't afford a good lawyer to defend yourself so you have to attack the reputation of the sueing company hoping they will drop it from public pressure?
My stress levels decreased hugely when all communication was put into the hands of our lawyers - and it was eventually resolved with both sides walking away and paying their own expenses, which wasn't great as we had done nothing wrong but was probably the least worst option.
Honestly - if someone raises a legal action against you - talk to a lawyer who specializes in the relevant area and do what they tell you, which is likely to include no public statement without their approval.