Adam S. Sieff

Counsel

T 213.633.8618 Los Angeles
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Adam Sieff is a media and constitutional litigator. A recognized authority on emerging issues involving online speech regulation, 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.

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 the 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 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 and competition litigation

An experienced antitrust litigator specializing in matters involving anticompetitive exclusionary conduct in digital media and entertainment markets, plaintiffs and defendants rely on Adam to formulate and establish creative antitrust theories. Adam was the principal author of briefs that defeated a rival's nine-figure monopolization and restraint of trade claims resulting in a pathbreaking published decision of the Sixth Circuit applying the refusal to deal doctrine, and securing a victory for a vertically-integrated competitor. His briefs also recently won a published appellate decision from the Ninth Circuit for an innovative online network service excluded from competition by its dominant incumbent rival.

Other regulatory and constitutional litigation

Beyond First Amendment and antitrust issues, Adam also litigates pre-emption, Commerce Clause, Due Process, and other constitutional claims on behalf of national trade associations, regulated entities, and civil rights plaintiffs. He has prevented enforcement of enterprise-threatening statutes, won and protected injunctions against constitutional violations, and tried Section 1983 actions against state defendants in federal court. Adam also counsels clients in enforcement actions brought by state attorneys general and other regulatory agencies, 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.

First Amendment and Media Litigation

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

Antitrust and Competition Litigation

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

Other Regulatory and Constitutional Litigation

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

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 6th Circuit, 2021
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 2018
  • U.S. District Court Central District of California, 2016
  • 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
    • Executive Vice Chair for Los Angeles, American Constitution Society, 2017-19; 2021-present
    • Contributing Editor, Media Law Letter, Media Law Resource Center
    • Internet & Technology Law Committee, Media Law Resource Center
    • Board Member, Bet Tzedek New Leaders Council
    • 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
    • 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

    • 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
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