Timothy L. Alger is a civil litigator, mediator, and owner of Alger Law APC and Alger ADR Services. Tim makes himself available nationwide to mediate and arbitrate disputes among businesses and individuals, and is a member of the American Arbitration Association’s esteemed Roster of Arbitrators. Tim’s expertise in the cannabis industry and 33 years in commercial litigation, and extensive training and experience in mediation and arbitration, make him a valuable resource for resolution of disagreements without the high cost of litigation in court.
Formerly the head of litigation, employment law and trademarks at Google and an equity partner at three major international law firms, Tim has represented leading internet, media, entertainment and advertising companies in regulatory disputes and litigation over trademarks, copyrights, unfair competition, contracts, free speech, defamation, and privacy. In addition to his own practices as a neutral and litigator, Tim serves as of counsel to the law firm of Harris Sliwoski LLP.
Tim has represented legal cannabis businesses in civil litigation and regulatory disputes with governmental entities. Recent representations in this industry include civil litigation over trademarks, contracts, relocation of a cannabis dispensary, excessive fines on cannabis cultivators, civil rights violations by law enforcement agencies, and ownership and management disputes in cannabis business partnerships and companies.
In other industries, Tim has represented a variety of companies and individuals in disputes over corporate acquisitions, business relationships, and financial issues. His work ranges from complex, multi-defendant class actions to disputes over subpoenas and public access to government proceedings and records. Tim’s business litigation work included post-trial and appellate representation of an international office supply company, in which Tim obtained the reversal for his client of a $32 million jury verdict for fraud and breach of an advertising contract. Tim’s work also included representation in the trial and appellate courts of a billboard company that successfully challenged the City of Los Angeles’ inconsistent regulation of outdoor signs.
Tim has been an outspoken advocate for First Amendment and other civil rights for nearly five decades, both as an attorney and journalist. He was lead counsel in two watershed Ninth Circuit cases interpreting Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act, which provides protection to internet companies that host content created by others. Tim also successfully represented clients in the Ninth Circuit in free speech cases of first impression involving the posting of controversial content on YouTube and on online roommate and dating services. As outside counsel and during his tenure as Deputy General Counsel at Google, Tim led Google's defense against lawsuits over copyrighted material posted online without owner consent, and the use of trademarks without owner consent in internet search advertising by competitors. Tim’s team obtained complete victories in two patent jury trials in the Eastern District of Texas. Tim and Google also took leading roles during Tim's tenure in controversies over news aggregation, online piracy, privacy rights, software patents, and open source licensing.
He recently obtained the reversal in the California Court of Appeal of a court order that held his client liable for debts incurred by a cannabis delivery company prior to the client’s acquisition of the company in a reverse triangular merger. Other victories include the dismissal of a federal lawsuit challenging a social network’s decision to remove material violating the network’s policies, which was affirmed by the Ninth Circuit, and the California Court of Appeal’s holding that electronic communications cannot be disclosed by a service provider without the user’s express consent.
Tim has offices in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and San Francisco, but appears regularly in courts throughout California and has a national practice in the federal trial and appellate courts. He holds mediations and arbitrations in-person at any of his offices or via video conferencing, and will travel when requested.
Tim is a frequent speaker on cannabis law, online intermediary liability, publicity and privacy rights, and defamation. His pro bono work has included representation of a state prisoner beaten by guards, a blind college student excluded from classes because of her disability, college newspapers, a mother and daughter subjected to excessive commercial fines for a medical marijuana garden, and public school students and parents seeking special education services.
Before attending law school, Mr. Alger was an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor.
