Skip to content
DWT logo
People Services Insights
About Offices Careers
Search
People
Services
Insights
About
Offices
Careers
Search
Desktop Image: Sieff, Adam
Mobile Image: Sieff, Adam

Adam S. Sieff

Partner

T 213.633.8618 Los Angeles
  •  

Download vCard Download bio Print this page
Share

Adam Sieff is a media and constitutional litigator. A recognized authority on emerging issues involving the regulation of digital media technologies, he represents internet, media, and technology clients in First Amendment, Section 230, and related constitutional litigation and appeals, including challenges to state and federal laws. Adam also defends advocacy organizations, charitable foundations, universities, investigative journalists, and corporate ESG programs against SLAPPs and regulations targeting their First Amendment-protected activity, as well as organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights in voting and civil rights impact litigation. 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 covering 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 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 defends global internet platforms in litigation involving unconstitutional threats to their publication, content moderation, and editorial practices. He also defends digital media technologies 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 restricting the use of algorithms and generative AI to publish content. His broader media practice includes defeating multimillion-dollar right of publicity claims with First Amendment defenses, and protecting creative brands' IP from infringement in online marketplaces.

Regulatory and constitutional litigation

Adam also litigates federal pre-emption, Commerce Clause, Due Process, and other constitutional claims on behalf of national trade associations, regulated entities, telecommunications firms, and civil rights plaintiffs. He has prevented enforcement of enterprise-threatening statutes, won and protected injunctions against constitutional violations, and successfully tried Section 1983 actions against government defendants in federal court. Adam also counsels clients in enforcement actions brought by state attorneys general and other regulators, and has particular experience challenging government regulatory authority under state and federal constitutions. In addition to litigation, Adam also provides policy counsel on pending legislation and ballot measures.

Civil rights, anti-discrimination, and ESG defense

Adam defends advocacy groups, charities, foundations, universities, and businesses in connection with their ESG programs and other constitutionally protected activities. He has advised a multibillion-dollar private foundation's grantmaking to avoid liability under Section 1981; guided a public charity's negotiations with a government partner to protect its own First Amendment rights in its grantmaking; counseled universities on First Amendment and Title VI matters; defended an advocacy group from government interference; and supported financial institutions' rights to engage in socially conscious investing.

First Amendment and Media Litigation: Affirmative Litigation

Searching...

First Amendment and Media Litigation: Platform and Publisher Defense

Searching...

Other Regulatory and Constitutional Litigation

Searching...

Civil Rights, Antidiscrimination, and ESG Defense

*Denotes an attorney's experience prior to joining Davis Wright Tremaine
Searching...

Admitted to Practice

  • California, 2014
  • Washington, 2022
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 2019
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit, 2022
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit, 2025
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, 2025
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit, 2021
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit, 2023
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit, 2018
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit, 2024
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 2016
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, 2025
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 2019
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of California, 2021
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, 2022

Education

  • J.D., Stanford Law School, 2014, with distinction
    • John Hart Ely Prize
    • Editor, Stanford Law & Policy Review
    • President, Stanford Law Democrats
  • A.B., Columbia University, 2011, summa cum laude
    • Phi Beta Kappa
    • Charles A. Beard Prize
    • Edwin M. Robbins Prize

Memberships & Affiliations

    • 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
    • Member of the Board of Directors, Stanford Daily Publishing Corporation
    • Member of the Board, Bet Tzedek New Leaders Council
    • Member of the Associate Board, Karsh Center at Wilshire Boulevard Temple
    • Member of the Board, Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California
    • President, Silver Lake Forward
    • Committee Chair, Govern for California
    • Steering Committee, LA Jewish Federation New Leaders Project, 2017-25
    • 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

    • "500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports, & Media Lawyers," Lawdragon, 2025
    • "Ones to Watch" in Commercial Litigation, Best Lawyers, 2023-2025
    • "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
    • 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

    • 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
Clear Filter
Searching...
Your search returned no results. Please try another search or remove search criteria.
DWT logo
©1996-2025 Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Attorney Advertising. Not intended as legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Media Kit Affiliations Legal notices
Privacy policy Employees DWT Collaborate EEO
SUBSCRIBE
©1996-2025 Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Attorney Advertising. Not intended as legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Close
Close

CAUTION - Before you proceed, please note: By clicking "accept" you agree that our review of the information contained in your e-mail and any attachments will not create an attorney-client relationship, and will not prevent any lawyer in our firm from representing a party in any matter where that information is relevant, even if you submitted the information in good faith to retain us.