Elliott C. Alderman
Top rated Intellectual Property attorney in Washington, Washington DC
Alderman IP
Practice areas: Intellectual Property, Entertainment & Sports, Technology Transactions; view more
Licensed in Washington DC since: 1983
Education: American University Washington College of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2023 - 2025 Call today:
202-932-8786
Virtual Appointments Alderman IP
1455 Pennsylvania Avenue NWSuite 400
Washington, DC 20004 Visit website
Elliott C. Alderman is the founder and principal attorney of Alderman IP in Washington, D.C., where he provides sophisticated counsel on intellectual property, entertainment, Internet and sports, content and media law matters to clients both domestically and abroad. Over the course of his 43-year career, he has become recognized for his excellence in e-commerce, electronic publishing, Internet of Things, and other online and mobile-environment issues.
A 1978 graduate of Rutgers University, Mr. Alderman earned honors as a William V. Frankel Scholar and was nominated for the Root-Tilden public service scholarship at New York University Law School. He completed his legal studies at American University’s Washington College of Law in 1982, serving as a dean’s fellow in copyright research and as a summer research assistant, before gaining admission to The District of Columbia Bar in 1983 and the Virginia State Bar in 2004.
In private practice, Mr. Alderman has litigated complex copyright, trademark and related intellectual property disputes; guided clients through complex advisory, registration and enforcement strategy; drafted and negotiated contracts spanning entertainment and software licensing to website and mobile application development and conducted comprehensive IP audits. His clientele includes prominent creatives, professional sports franchises and leading technology enterprises.
Before founding his firm, Mr. Alderman served as general counsel for Tax Analysts – an influential new-media tax publishing company of 200 professionals – where he supervised legal operations, including managing the organization’s intellectual property portfolio, negotiating content-licensing and e-commerce agreements, overseeing outside litigation counsel.
Mr. Alderman’s earlier government service included work in the U.S. Copyright Office as a Senior Counsel, drafting policy decisions, rulemaking proposals, and legal memoranda for domestic and international copyright issues, and litigating issues against the the office. And roles as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and law clerk to the Associate Chief Administrative Law Judge at the U.S. Department of Labor. Additionally, he is rated AV Preeminent* peer-review rating through Martindale-Hubbell.
*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer-review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
Practice areas
Intellectual Property, Entertainment & Sports, Technology TransactionsFocus areas
Copyrights, Entertainment, Sports & Leisure Law, Intellectual Property Law, Internet, Science and Technology Law, Trademarks
- 60% Intellectual Property
- 20% Entertainment & Sports
- 20% Technology Transactions
First Admitted: 1983, Washington DC
Professional Webpage: https://thecontentlawyer.com/about-our-dc-law-practice/
Bar / Professional Activity
- DC Bar, Member, Practice Management Service Committee: an advisory board of 10 experienced practitioners assisting the Bar, and DC Bar members, with advice on professional practice, business development and related issues.
- Virginia, 2004
- District of Columbia, 1983
Videos
- Stadiums, arenas, amusement parks, casinos, campuses and other venues have common technology and intellectual property issues: a complex infrastructure with fan-facing and backend issues that both must be addressed when integrating technology and content; and related social media and other platform considerations., Intellectual Property Issues for Sports and other Venues, 2023
- https://www.thecontentlawyer.com/videos/, 2021
- Emerging Intellectual Property and Technology Issues in the Sports Vertical, 2021
Representative Clients
- A Fortune 500 financial services company.
- A fortune 100 technology company
- Several national nonprofits
- A three-time National Basketball Association world champion.
Pro bono / Community Service
- Copyright Society of USA Member, Steering Committee, Washington Chapter
- Third term member, DC Bar Practice Management Advisory Service Committee
- National Computer Law Center (online service), Copyright Forum Leader
- D.C. Computer Law Forum Member
Honors
- The "A" ability rating refers to "very high to preeminent" legal skills, while the "V" ethical standards rating means that an attorney practices with "very high" ethical standards. The AV rating is a testament to the fact that a lawyer's peers rank him or her at the very highest level of professional excellence. Fewer than ten percent of attorneys are rated at this level., AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell, 2021
- AV Preeminent* rating through Martindale-Hubbell
- Super Lawyers Honoree, 2023 - 2025
- This publication recognizes the foremost legal practitioners and thought leaders in a variety of business practice, based upon comprehensive, independent research., International Who's Who of Business Lawyers (Entertainment Law), Who's Who Legal
- This award recognizes those attorneys who have received ten or more client reviews with an average score of 4.5 (out of 5), or higher. Fewer than one percent of attorneys qualify for this award., Platinum Client Champion, Martindale-Hubbell, 2021
Educational Background
- Rutgers University, BA, Major: English, 1978
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- The U.S. Supreme Court clarified the relationship between the copyright owner's derivative work right and subsequent users' fair use rights, narrowing the scope of the doctrine., Author, U.S. Supreme Court Warhol Foundation Decision on Copyright Fair Use: Transformation Alone is not Fair Use of a Copyrighted Work, 5 Maryland Bar Journal 50 (2023), All Applicable Industries, 2023
- U.S. Supreme Court Warhol Foundation Decision on Copyright Fair Use: Transformation Alone is not Fair Use of a Copyrighted Work, 5 Maryland Bar Journal 50 (December 1, 2023)
- All relevant industries.
Office location for Elliott C. Alderman
1455 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20004
Phone: 202-932-8786
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2023 - 2025
