Erik Swen Syverson, Attorney

Erik S. Syverson is a business litigation and trial lawyer specializing in internet and e-commerce related issues.  In 2007, Syverson opened his own practice dedicated to internet law issues while remaining of counsel to the business litigation firm of Pick & Boydston, LLP.  Syverson began his legal career as an associate with Pick & Boydston, LLP from 2002 until 2007.

Syverson has handled dozens of internet based disputes on behalf of his small business clientele.  Among such disputes, internet marketing and advertising has become a focus.  For example, Syverson frequently counsels clients relating to pay per click internet advertising on such platforms as Google Adwords.  Additionally, Syverson frequently handles affiliate based marketing disputes relating to click fraud, fraudulent credit card information and keyword trademark infringement.  Syverson is also active in the internet affiliate marketplace model of advertising based upon cost per acquisition pricing and the issues of click fraud occurring in such advertising models. 

In addition to internet based litigation, Syverson has handled a full range of commercial and consumer based disputes throughout his career in federal and state courts.  In the last three years, Syverson has served as lead trial counsel in three separate trials relating to commercial disputes.

Syverson graduated from Loyola Law School in 2002 and earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI.  He frequently speaks to small business industry groups regarding internet issues and is often interviewed by media outlets such as CNN, Money Magazine and L.A. Weekly regarding contemporary internet law issues.

His practice areas include:

Commercial Litigation

Copyrights & Trademarks

Domain Name Disputes

E-commerce

General Business Law

International Business

Internet Class Actions

Internet Defamation

Mr. Syverson offers a unique skill set to clients by combining his trial work experience with his love of cutting edge technology and business.  This allows Mr. Syverson to identify the crucial legal issues that may confront businesses employing new technology and distribution methods. Mr. Syverson has counseled dozens of internet start-ups as well as established businesses looking to expand operations online. With careful planning and execution, Mr. Syverson strives to keep emerging business clients out of litigation so that capital may be used for expansion of business operations. 

As technology and the internet continue to play a vital role in commerce, Mr. Syverson's practice has grown to meet new legal challenges.  As a result, he is one of America's leading Internet Attorneys and has been involved in multiple copyright infringement cases related to websites and the posting of infringing content online. Additionally, he has recently been working on ground breaking royalties allocation cases for the exploitation of various legendary musical works. In the area of trademark and trade practices, Mr. Syverson represents companies prosecuting and defending claims of trademark infringement including cybersquatting cases and domain name controversies. Mr. Syverson has experience both defending and prosecuting intellectual property cases in state and federal court.

Recently, Mr. Syverson has been involved as lead counsel on several large E-commerce class actions on behalf of various businesses affected by click fraud and other unfair E-commerce business practices.  The most recent cases involve companies such as Google and IAC/InteractiveCorp.

In the realm of business litigation, Mr. Syverson's most recent success involved a multi-million dollar trial relating to commercial leases for the outdoor advertising industry. With millions of dollars at stake, Mr. Syverson defended his client's right to maintain billboards along the 405 freeway in Southern California. After years of litigation and two weeks of trial, the Court found in favor of Mr. Syverson's client. Mr. Syverson's willingness and ability to take the difficult and complex case all the way to trial, if necessary, is another value added feature of his practice.

Representative actions Mr. Syverson has handled through the years include:

Allen Lund Company, Inc. v. AT&T, Inc. et al., U.S. District Court, Case No. CV-05-4588 (U.S.D.C., Central Dist. CA), Mr. Syverson oversaw implementation of settlement terms of a consumer class action against several long distance telephone carriers relating to overcharges and deceptive billing.

Superior Property of Carson, LLC v. Viacom Outdoor, Inc., et al., L.A.S.C. Case No. BC 319241, Mr. Syverson acted as lead trial counsel for a Defendant outdoor advertising company in a multi million dollar dispute relating to rights to operate billboards along the 405 freeway in Los Angeles County before the Hon. James R. Dunn.  After a fourteen day trial, judgment was rendered in favor of Mr. Syverson's client including an award of all Defendants' attorneys' fees and costs.  Additionally, the judgment was upheld before the California Court of Appeal.  Mr. Syverson prepared and successfully argued the appeal on behalf of his client.

Long v. Travel Syndicate, Inc., et al., L.A.S.C., Case No. GC 038695, Mr. Syverson served as lead trial counsel for Defendant Travel Syndicate, Inc. and prevailed in a high six figure lawsuit relating to the enforceability of certain commercial paper and security interests.  Mr. Syverson successfully obtained an award of Travel Syndicate's attorneys' fees and costs.

In re Girls Gone Wild Litigation, L.A.S.C., Case No. BC296675, Mr. Syverson represented Defendants Girls Gone Wild and Joseph Francis before Hon. William F. Highberger in a class action consumer action related to the marketing and sale of Defendants' DVD's through internet marketing and television infomercial sales. 

The Orchard Enterprises, Inc. v. Tufamerica, Inc., U.S. District Court, Case No. CV-00553 (U.S.D.C., Eastern Dist. CA), Mr. Syverson served as lead counsel for Defendant and Counterclaimant Tufamerica, Inc. in a complex internet digital music distribution and advertising deal in which both parties alleged multi-million dollar claims for breach of contract and fraud.  The dispute involved more than 20,000 musical tracks including artists such as Ray Charles and Queen Latifah.  The musical tracks and all distribution thereof occurred exclusively on the internet in one of the first cases to test the digital monetization of musical tracks for advertising and marketing purposes rather than direct consumer based distribution of digital files.

Whyte Plumbing, Inc. v. Eweb Nation, et al., L.A.S.C., Case No. BC393965, Mr. Syverson represented Plaintiff in a multi million dollar dispute over the rights to and ownership of over six proprietary plumbing and plumbing products websites and domain names.  The parties reached a confidential settlement.

Denenberg v. Ruder, U.S. District Court, Case No. Case No. 8:05cv215, (U.S.D.C., Dist. NE), Mr. Syverson served as lead trial counsel for a Los Angeles based plastic surgeon in an internet advertising and intellectual property dispute with a Nebraska based plastic surgeon.  The case settled on confidential terms prior to trial in Omaha, Nebraska.

Traffic Marketplace, Inc. v. Dermaplus, Inc., L.A.S.C., Case No. BC402004, Mr. Syverson served as lead trial counsel for skin care company Defendant and Cross-Complainant Dermaplus in a dispute with one of the largest internet affiliate marketing portal companies in Traffic Marketplace.  The case related to click fraud generated within Dermaplus' internet marketing campaigns.  Additionally, the case involved disputes over the accuracy of cost per acquisition charges in an internet continuity program offer for Dermaplus.  The case settled on confidential terms prior to trial.