General Information
Overview
Neff Law Firm is a prominent transactional intellectual property, technology, data protection/privacy, commercial and international law firm that represents a wide range of technology, ecommerce and media companies, ranging from startups to the most recognized names in business. Present and/or past clients include Microsoft, Rubrik, JAMS, Logitech, Informatica, APM Music, Intuit, Yahoo!, eSalon.com, Symantec, Apple, Autodesk, eSalon.com, SnapLogic, Roland Corp. (US), Avantica Technologies, EV Connect, SunGard, PriceGrabber.com, LinkedIn/lynda.com, GroundTruth/xAd/WeatherBug, Auction.com, Spatial Systems, Video Copilot and the Business Software Alliance. We handle a wide range of corporate transactions, including M&A, joint ventures, distribution agreements, license agreements, and every variety of Cloud/SaaS/PaaS and related agreements. We frequently counsel clients on copyright and content issues, handle worldwide trademark portfolios, and counsel on worldwide personal data protection and privacy issues, ensuring compliance with GDPR, CCPA and implementing Privacy Shield. We represent US companies with overseas transactions, and many foreign companies on their US transactions. We have European and North and South American technology, ecommerce and social media clients from all major countries. We handle transactions in Spanish, French and Portuguese. The Firm’s practice has benefited from the convergence of technology and media.
We are known for our tremendous responsiveness, high quality and agility, and in many cases we have represented important clients for over ten years.
The Firm provides legal services in the following areas:
Technology Licensing and Transactions
Internet and eCommerce Counseling and Transactions
Data Protection and Privacy (including GDPR, CCPA and implementation of Privacy Shield)
Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) and other Corporate Transactions
Copyright & Trademark: Intellectual Property Counseling and Transactions
Antipiracy: Copyright and Trademark Infringement, Content and Fair Use Issues
International Law and Issues [sometimes using international network]
Startups & Emerging Growth Companies: Formation and Growth
Trademark Registration, Counseling, Docket Management and Disputes on International Basis
Structuring International Presence, Distribution and Channel Arrangements
Establishing Start-ups, Entities, Financing of Start-ups
- Dispute Resolution
Neff Law Firm offers very high quality, specialized legal services at affordable rates. For clients without in-house lawyers, Neff Law Firm often plays an outside general counsel role. For clients with existing legal departments, who need to manage their legal costs, our expertise, quality, flexibility, efficiency and reasonable rates will prove equally attractive.
In 2019 we handled 3 M&A transactions very effectively for longtime clients (representing the Seller in each case), with large international firms representing the other side.
Neff Law Firm is particularly strong in international/cross-border transactions; perhaps 50% of the matters we handle have international aspects or involve international clients. Although a majority of our clients are based in California, including many in Silicon Valley, we have acted for clients based in Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, India, Japan, Malta, Mexico, Sweden, Switzerland and numerous clients in the United Kingdom. Certain major companies use us to handle issues that arise in Latin America because of our unique expertise there and language capabilities. We have a network of international lawyers with whom we work who can handle every matter that you confront. We have helped many companies expand their operations and sales in overseas markets, and enhance their international profile.
Rankings
Neff Law Firm PLC is nationally ranked in 1 practice areas and metro ranked in 1 practice areas. Best Law Firms rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process.
Read how Best Law Firms ranks firmsNational Rankings
Metro Rankings
Firm Leadership
About Our Clients
Neff Law Firm's Clients include a wide range of companies, from large public companies to internet startups. We represent companies based in California, other parts of the United States, and in 15 countries around the world.
Past and present clients include: Rubrik, JAMS, APM Music, SnapLogic, eSalon.com, Roland Corp. U.S., Informatica Corp., Logitech, Box, Inc., Microsoft, Apple, Yahoo!, lynda.com/LinkedIn, Avantica Technologies, Auction.com, Business Software Alliance (BSA), Spatial Systems, Video Copilot, SunGard, Menlo Technologies, Saguaro Technology, Veritas, Association of American Publishers, IDSA (now ESA), Autodesk, Bentley Systems, National TeleConsultants, EV Connect, Straight Up Technologies, Pepper Gate Footwear, Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics, CSC Brasil, The Irvine Company, mibeTec GmbH, Alldatum SA de CV, Burkert International AG
Select Clients
- Present & Past: Rubrik, JAMS, SnapLogic, APM Music, eSalon.com, Roland Corp. U.S., Informatica Corp., Logitech, Box, Inc., Microsoft, Apple, Yahoo!, lynda.com/LinkedIn, Avantica Technologies, Auction.com, Business Software Alliance (BSA)
- Spatial Systems, Video Copilot, SunGard, Menlo Technologies, Saguaro Technology, Veritas, AAP, IDSA (now ESA), Autodesk, Bentley Systems, Nat'l TeleConsultants, EV Connect, Straight Up Technologies, Pepper Gate Footwear, Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics
Rankings
National Rankings
Metro Rankings
Practice Areas
- Copyright Law
- Corporate Law
- Information Technology Law
- International Mergers and Acquisitions
- Media Law
- Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Privacy and Data Security Law
- Technology Law
- Trademark Law
Demographics
Awards
- Technology Lawyer of the Year - USA: M&A Today - Global Awards - 2020 (KMH Media Group)
- IP Law Expert of the Year in California: Leaders in Law 2020 Global Awards
- Law Firm of the Year – Technology Law – California, USA Legal 100 – 2020 (Lawyer International)
- Law Firm of the Year – Technology Law – California, USA: Global Awards 2020 (KMH Media Group)
- Internet Law – Law Firm of the Year in California – 2020: 2020 Corporate Intl Magazine Global Award
- Intellectual Property Firm of the Year in USA – California: Leaders in Law – 2020 Global Awards
Main Location
Management and Personnel
Significant Matters
MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
- Assisted lynda.com in the 2014 acquisition of the media assets of Gainshare dba Interface TT, and with the license agreement regarding certain assets not being acquired.
- Represented German games/App developer client, Gamedoctors, which was the creator of Zombie Smash, the No.2 grossing App on Apple’s App Store, in its sale to Zynga. The deal involved both cash and stock, and various complex issues were triggered by its international aspects
- Represented Alexandre Dreyfus, leader in European online gaming/poker world, and his companies Chilipay Limited of Malta and MediarexInternacional of Costa Rica, in sale of Mediarex’s proprietary B2B igaming software platform to Bally Technologies of Las Vegas, Nevada. Other assets also were sold to Bally, and there were employment issues. This cross-border transaction had considerable complexity arising from the laws of the various jurisdictions that were involved, including Malta, France, Costa Rica and Nevada.
-
Informatica Corp.: Handled all of Latin American transactions mostly in Spanish and Portuguese. Transactions include a variety of professional services (development) deals, software license transactions and support services agreements and distribution deals with a who’s who of Latin American companies.
- Informatica: Handled numerous Cloud Agreements; Software-as-a-Service: Informatica Cloud Service: helped prepare some of the template subscription service agreements used by Informatica for its highly successful Cloud Service, and negotiated Cloud deals with many Fortune 500 companies
- Logitech: advise Logitech on its reseller and distribution deals in Latin America, and other Latin American matters, including deals with: RadioShack Mexico; Liverpool Mexico; OfficeMax México; Office Depot México
- Box.com: Drafted Distribution and Service Agreement with HP
- Nativ Limited: For UK software publisher of MioEverywhere, a media logistics platform that enables management of end-to-end content processes, negotiated license agreement with Vubiquity, and OEM and reseller agreement with Ooyala.
- Associated Production Music: APM Music: For world’s largest production music library, prepare most music licensing templates and negotiate various music license, synchronization license and distribution deals.
- Video Copilot: Draft and negotiate Action Movie FX App production deal with Bad Robot Entertainment; Prepare technology license agreement for VideoCopilot.net website; Negotiate software license with Industrial Light & Magic, a division of Lucasfilm Entertainment
- Irvine Company: Negotiate digital film projection Master Administration Agreement with Sony Electronics on behalf of Island Cinema
- Avantica: international software development company for technology companies: helped draft and negotiated master services agreements with: Paciolan, salesforce.com,
- NTC: for this market leader in IT design, consulting and implementation services for media and entertainment industry giants, negotiated agreemetns with AT&T, Verizon, PBS/NPR.
- StrongLoop: negotiated, drafted software license and services agreement with TD Bank & Bank of America.
- Negotiated employment agreement for computer graphics designer with Bad Robot Productions
- Informatica: Drafted Terms of Use of Informatica Marketplace, as well as the contest terms to help launch Marketplace.
- For major software company, negotiated deal with Amazon World Services whereby the company’s software would be made available in the Amazon Cloud for paid hourly usage by businesses
- For major Silicon Valley software company, worked to ensure that online website administered by Digital River did not violate resale price maintenance provisions of antitrust law under European Union laws.
- APM Music: the country’s largest production music library, an “iTunes” for the film, television and videogames industries, handled various website development deals as it perfected its web-based Interface
- Proxio: whose platform internationalizes the real estate MLS service for global online use, draft/negotiate a license, services and marketing agreement with Lennar Homes.
- Roland Corp., leader in electronic keyboards, advised on display advertising for Google Analytics, and how it impacts privacy policy.
- Dailymotion: Advised on the U.S. legal status of the practice of placing advertising next to user-generated content.
- Informatica: Terms of Use: Prepare and revise terms of use for websites Informatica Marketplace and Informatica Communities
- PriceGrabber.com: Handled many of the transactions and drafted many of the agreements that this ecommerce website used as it grew into a price comparison powerhouse on the Internet.
- Drafted Terms of Use and Privacy Policies for a wide variety of Internet sites and companies including Adlink, eSalon.com, SafeCorp, a single site for managing all of one’s online accounts and log-ins, bds mktg’s RetailAccess.com product training site, Share Magnet’s website and its Social Rebate website, and Gether LLC’s iPhone and iPad app.
- Logitech: Helped negotiate build-out agreement and office lease of the Mexico City office of a $4 billion Northern California- based computer peripheral and consumer electronics company
- Proxio: provided legal counsel to a joint venture with a Mexican company to offer Proxio software in Mexico, and establish a Mexican SAPI entity for the joint venture, and also provided legal counsel for joint venture with Base in Brazil
- Jawbone: handled several distribution agreements in Brazil
- glu mobile: negotiated most of the mobile games download deals with many of the largest wireless carriers in Latin America, many of which are affiliates of América Movil
- Logitech Inc.: developed international warranty for use throughout world; completed a Latin American warranty spreadsheet to ensure compliance, esp. Brazil and Mexico, and reviewed Canadian and provincial warranty requirements.
- Symantec Corp.: did survey in 25 Latin American countries on whether automatic renewal, and charging a customer’s credit card is permissible for annual antivirus online subscription.
- Handled worldwide and Latin America-wide product recalls for two major Northern California consumer electronics companies.
- Negotiated a vendor deal for Colombian chocolate manufacturer to be able to offer its product at Trader Joe’s; all client contact in Spanish.
- BSA: Managed 15 years of copyright (and trademark) enforcement anti-piracy programs overseas for this important trade association for the computer software industry, as well as similar programs for AAP and for major software and games publishers
- lynda.com: Advise Content group, responsible for content for training videos for leading video training library and website, on copyright, trademark and publicity rights issues
- lynda.com: Manage antipiracy matters including winning UDRP action to seize domain name from internet pirate. Achieved various takedowns under DMCA, including removal of 13 courses that plagiarized/infringed lynda.com courses from Udemy.com, and takedown of lyndapakistan.com pirate website.
- Handled IP due diligence in a large number of acquisitions and dispositions, most recently for the acquisition of all assets of a Hong Kong and California-based webhosting company by a large Massachusetts-based company that has been acquiring numerous webhosting companies.
- eSalon.com, advised this leading online hair color/products website on a variety of intellectual property issues, including defamation and trade libel, cyberstalking, copyright liability.
- Managed overseas antipiracy (copyright enforcement) programs for three of the world’s major copyright-based trade associations, Business Software Alliance, Association of American Publishers, and Interactive Digital Software Association, the precursor of the Entertainment Software Association.
LICENSING, TECHNOLOGY &MEDIA TRANSACTIONS
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & COPYRIGHT