Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP is pleased to announce the addition of Gary Stiffelman, who is joining the firm as a shareholder in the Entertainment & Media Practice. Stiffelman, who has nearly 35 years of entertainment and media experience, joins the firm from Ziffren Brittenham. (more…)
Sidley Austin LLP is pleased to announce that David Grinberg has joined the firm as a partner in the Century City office. He will be a member of Sidley’s global M&A practice. Mr. Grinberg previously chaired the M&A practice at his former firm and brings extensive leadership and transactional experience to his role at Sidley. (more…)
Shareholder Timothy L. Alger joins global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP’s Intellectual Property Litigation Practice in the firm’s Silicon Valley and Orange County offices. Alger was previously a partner at Perkins Coie LLP and also served as Deputy General Counsel at Google, where he directed the company’s litigation, employment legal services, and trademarks worldwide.
“Tim is a veteran of the Silicon Valley technology community, and offers the dedication and unique insight that our clients have come to expect,” said Bill Goines, managing shareholder of the firm’s Silicon Valley office.
Alger brings a diverse legal practice to Greenberg Traurig, serving many prominent media, Internet, and entertainment industry companies against claims of defamation, invasion of privacy, trademark and copyright infringement, unfair competition, and breach of contract. His responsibilities as in-house counsel included cutting-edge disputes over software patents, privacy rights, and intermediary liability for copyright infringement.
“We are thrilled to welcome Tim to Greenberg Traurig,” said J. Rick Taché, co-chair of the Global Patent Litigation Group, chair of the Orange County IP & Technology Group, and co-managing shareholder of the Orange County office. “His extensive experience litigating cases in the IP and entertainment industries, particularly during his tenure at Google, will be a significant asset to our Intellectual Property Litigation, Media & Entertainment Litigation, and Cybersecurity and Crisis Management practices.”
A former journalist, Alger has successfully defended Internet companies in high-profile free speech cases such as Garcia v. Google, in which the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an actress’ effort to force Google to remove the controversial “Innocence of Muslims” video trailer from YouTube. Alger represented the defendants in the watershed Ninth Circuit cases interpreting the federal statute that protects interactive computer services from liability for online postings by users, Fair Housing Council v. Roommates.com and Carafano v. Metrosplash.com. Alger also continues to represent traditional media, and recently obtained a major victory in the California Court of Appeal for an outdoor sign company that challenged the City of Los Angeles’ inconsistent regulation of digital billboards.
“Tim is a talented and highly experienced litigator,” said Bruce Fischer, chair of the West Coast Real Estate Practice and co-managing shareholder of the Orange County office. “He has a proven track record of success, and we are fortunate to include him as part of our Greenberg Traurig family.”
Alger received his B.A. from Seton Hall University, his M.A. in Journalism from the University of Colorado, and his J.D. from Loyola Law School.
Holland & Knight today announced that Faith Bruins has joined its San Francisco office as a partner in the firm’s Syndication Group. She was previously a partner with Nixon Peabody. (more…)
Mayer Brown announced today that David Wang has joined the firm’s Intellectual Property practice as a partner in Palo Alto. Previously, he was a partner with Winston & Strawn LLP in that firm’s Silicon Valley office. (more…)
Allen Matkins, a California-based full service real estate and business law firm, announced today the hiring of corporate partner Benjamin D. Fackler in its San Francisco office. Ben joins Allen Matkins’ Corporate and Finance Department as head of the firm’s San Francisco Mergers and Acquisitions Practice where he will advise clients on complex transactions and matters affecting corporate governance and strategy. Ben has worked with a broad range of clients, from individuals and investment firms to public and private companies, on mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, cross-border takeovers, contested situations and shareholder activism, as well as financings and general corporate and securities matters. (more…)
Cooley continues to enhance and expand its global mergers and acquisitions practice with the addition of partner Steven Tonsfeldt, who joins Cooley from O’Melveny & Myers where he was chair of its global M&A and private equity practice. He will be based in the firm’s Palo Alto office. (more…)
Blank Rome LLP is pleased to welcome Michael C. Cohen to the Firm as a Partner in the Los Angeles office’s Corporate, M&A, and Securities group. Mr. Cohen focuses his practice on a broad range of corporate, real estate, and other business transactions, with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, private equity, and general outside counsel representation. He joins Blank Rome from Morrison & Foerster LLP, where he was a partner for 16 years and head of the Los Angeles office’s Corporate practice group. (more…)
