Internet Law Resources:
Internet
Lawyer - Erik Syverson
Guide
to Hiring an Internet Lawyer
Internet
Business - Selecting a Good Lawyer
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Internet Lawyer
A recommendation & Search
Tips for
your own Internet Lawyer selection
Introduction:
A business associate and I recently went through a careful and
methodical process to identify a qualified Internet lawyer.
Not
just one who slaps the title "Internet Lawyer" on his or her list of
services.
This page shares information about Erik Syvreson, the Internet lawyer
that we selected.
Also
provided on this page (below) are answers to the important
questions:
- What
Questions should I ask a "prospective Internet Lawyer", regardless of
who is on my short list?
- Why does
one need an
Internet lawyer anyway?
We hope this helps
out anyone
also going through the
process of selecting an Internet lawyer.
We're not experts, just consumers passing on some of what we've learned.
Ten
positive qualifications to confirm with your prospective Internet
Lawyer:
(In our case, we verified these during an
in-person interview at Mr.
Syverson's law offices. In your situation, these may be worth verifying
by phone or in person with any potential candidates.)
- Significant
experience as an Internet lawyer
- Real-life
practice in litigation and defense as an Internet lawyer.
(Has litigated a number of business, Internet, and intellectual
property cases across the country in both state, federal and appellate
courts.)
- Broad
spectrum of services related to Internet law
- Very
reasonable billing rate for all Internet-related legal services
- Customer-focused
attitude
- Has
counseled a significant number of Internet start-ups
- Has
been involved with multiple copyright infringement cases related
to websites and the posting of infringing content online
- Is
leading the charge on class action law suits against Internet
giants like Google
- Publishes
his own online Blog concerning Internet law and matters of
intellectual property (i.e., copyright)
- Also
deals with business law, including starting new businesses,
writing contracts, corporate formalities, and the like
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Erik Syverson
and Syverson Law -- Links used in our Internet Lawyer evaluation
process:
Erik Syverson's website:
From the State Bar of California:
http://members.calbar.ca.gov/search/member_detail.aspx?x=221933
FindLaw write-up:
http://pview.findlaw.com/view/3729951_1
Lawyers.com listing (Martindale-Hubble):
http://www.lawyers.com/California/Los-Angeles/Erik-Syverson-2617465-a.html
(Note: Looks
like this might be in the process of being updated.)
---
Following
are
questions to ask when evaluating any Internet lawyer:
The more organized you are, the better you can confirm if a particular
Internet lawyer is right for your unique legal situation.
- How
many years have you been licensed to practice as an Internet
lawyer?
- Do you
have a website that shares your experience and services as an
Internet lawyer? [Note: They had better have a website if they practice
Internet law!]
- Have
you represented any clients in any cases of significance
relating to Internet law? What was the outcome?
- Have
you been investigated or disciplined before?
- Do you
have references you can provide me? Are any of them clients
who you've assisted as an Internet attorney?
- How do
you bill? What is your retainer and/or hourly rate? Do you
bill in less than 1-hour increments? (i.e., 30- or 15-minute
increments) How does your rate compare to other Internet lawyers in the
industry?
- Do you
have any other clients in my same industry that will pose a
conflict of interest if I hire you as my Internet lawyer?
- Can you
represent or work for me as an Internet attorney if
you're located in a different city or state? How?
- What
strengths do you have over other Internet lawyers in the
industry?
- In
addition to consultations, do you litigate for and defend your
clients? (Especially in the area of Internet law and intellectual
property issues)
---
Why
does one
need an Internet lawyer anyway?
- Start-up
advice for online business ventures
- Intellectual
property issues and consultations relating to online
copyrights, copyright infringement, trademarks, and patents
- Writing
or reviewing of website Terms of Use/Service and Privacy
Policies
- Domain
name disputes
- e-commerce
issues
- Advice
on how to fight defamation on the Internet of you or your
products/services
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