Adam Sieff is a media and constitutional litigator. A recognized authority on emerging issues involving the regulation of online speech and media technologies, he represents internet, media, and technology clients in First Amendment, Section 230, copyright, trademark, antitrust, and related constitutional litigation and appeals, including challenges to state and federal laws. He also counsels media technology associations on legislation and ballot initiatives, and represents nonprofit and issue-advocacy organizations in constitutional rights, voting rights, and civil rights impact litigation, including before the U.S. Supreme Court. Named a "Rising Star" by Law360 and a "Lawyer on the Fast Track" by The Recorder and American Legal Media, Adam and his teams have been twice honored as the American Lawyer's "Litigators of the Week" and as Law360's "Legal Lions of the Week" for First Amendment victories striking down unconstitutional internet regulations.
Outside his practice, Adam is a lecturer in law at the University of Southern California, where he teaches courses that cover the First Amendment and constitutional law. He has also served as Executive Vice Chair of the American Constitution Society in Los Angeles, and on boards of the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California and Bet Tzedek, among other statewide and community nonprofit organizations. The Los Angeles County Empowerment Congress has named Adam a "40 Under 40: Emerging Civic Leader," and Equality California honored him with its Community Leadership Award.
Prior to joining DWT, Adam served as voting rights and election integrity litigation counsel to the Biden for President campaign, practiced for several years in the San Francisco and Los Angeles offices of an international law firm, and clerked for the Hon. Christina A. Snyder of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
Practice Highlights
First Amendment and media litigation
Adam is First Amendment litigation counsel to global internet platforms in cases involving unconstitutional regulatory threats to their publication, content moderation, and editorial practices, as well as digital media publishers and creators in matters involving content targeted by government censors. He has successfully defended internet platforms in numerous cases involving claims stemming from third-party content and platform editorial activity, and won injunctions, consent decrees, and non-enforcement agreements in First Amendment challenges to state laws. His broader media practice includes defeating multimillion-dollar trademark and right of publicity claims with First Amendment defenses, and protecting creative brands' intellectual property from infringement in online marketplaces.
Antitrust, trademark, and competition litigation
Other regulatory and constitutional litigation
First Amendment and Media Litigation
Antitrust, Trademark, and Competition Litigation
Other Regulatory and Constitutional Litigation
Admitted to Practice
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California, 2014
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Washington, 2022
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U.S. Supreme Court, 2019
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U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit, 2022
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U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit, 2021
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U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit, 2023
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U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit, 2018
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U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit, 2024
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U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 2016
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U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 2019
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U.S. District Court, Southern District of California, 2021
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U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, 2022
Education
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J.D., Stanford Law School, 2014, with distinction
- John Hart Ely Prize
- Editor, Stanford Law & Policy Review
- President, Stanford Law Democrats
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A.B., Columbia University, 2011, summa cum laude
- Phi Beta Kappa
- Charles A. Beard Prize
- Edwin M. Robbins Prize
Memberships & Affiliations
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- Lecturer in Law, USC Gould School of Law, 2017-present
- Co-editor, Section 230 Developments, Practicing Law Institute
- Contributing Editor, Media Law Letter, Media Law Resource Center
- Internet & Technology Law Committee, Media Law Resource Center
- Board Member, Bet Tzedek New Leaders Council
- Member of the Board of Directors, Stanford Daily Publishing Corporation
- Constitutional Revision Working Group, California State Assembly, 2020-present
- Member of the Board, Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California, 2018-present
- President, 2022-present; Board Member, 2017; Silver Lake Forward
- Board Member, Jewish World Watch, 2021-present
- Committee Chair, Govern for California, 2018-present
- Steering Committee, LA Jewish Federation New Leaders Project, 2017-present
- Executive Vice Chair for Los Angeles, American Constitution Society, 2017-19; 2021-23
- Member of the Board & Policy Chair, Los Angeles County Young Democrats, 2016-2019
- Legal Policy Counsel, Newsom for Governor, 2018
- Advisory Board Member, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, S.F. Bay Area, 2014-2016
Professional Recognition
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- "Rising Star," Law360, 2024
- "Lawyers on the Fast Track," The Recorder, California Legal Awards, 2023
- "Litigators of the Week," American Lawyer, Dec. 2023
- "Litigators of the Week," American Lawyer, Oct. 2023
- "Legal Lions of the Week," Law360, Dec. 2023
- "Ones to Watch" in Commercial Litigation, Best Lawyers, 2023-2025
- Julie Orr Heart of Justice Award, Davis Wright Tremaine, 2021
- Community Leadership Award, Equality California, 2019
- 40 Under 40 Emerging Civic Leader, Los Angeles Empowerment Congress, 2018
Background
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- Voting Rights Counsel, Biden for President, 2020
- Judicial Law Clerk, Hon. Christina A. Snyder, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, Los Angeles, 2019-2020
- Associate, Latham & Watkins LLP, San Francisco, Los Angeles, 2014-2019