Sunday, July 12, 2009

Internet Lawyer: Litigation

If you are looking for an Internet lawyer, what skills are you seeking? If you have business or compliance issues, and are worried about whether you are complying with the laws, would you hire a business lawyer? Or a trial lawyer or litigator who is actually handling the legal issues arising from the same problems you are worried about?

As an example, at Traverse Internet Law we handle a lot of active, open FTC matters with real FTC lawyers on the other side. Working through this type of litigation or legal action is invaluable in terms of acquiring an understanding and appreciation for what the FTC expects and where the line is drawn. Otherwise, an Internet lawyer can rarely develop the knowledge to offer high quality guidance on FTC compliance except in the most obvious situations.

Keep that in mind as you look for an Internet lawyer that can bring real value to the relationship.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Internet Lawyer Selection

First, let's recognize that there appear to be only two or three law firms with more than one Internet lawyer in the country. We deal with them often. Does this mean that big law firms or intellectual property lawyers cannot handle your legal matter? Of course not. But if you are looking for a high qualityInternet lawyer don't ever rely just on references from other lawyers. The other lawyers often have not the slightest clue about who can do what well in this very unique and small fraternity of Internet lawyers. Talk to an Internet lawyer and get a feel for his familiarity with the subject. Look for him to be conversant and able to speak on your level and on your terms. Or move on to someone else.

We were just hired by a client after he became dissatisfied with months of seemingly endless fees and no progress. Our client was after a domain name. It took one letter from us, and back came a prompt reply from the the other party that he knew of our firm and Internet lawyer expertise. And since we were involved, he continued, he was ready to turn the domain name over. Of course, every situation is different and the fact that we were successful in this matter does not predict the future outcome of any other case or dispute or matter. The facts are always different. But if you learn to stick with the industry insiders you may find that you are happier with the results.