Joel Riff co-founded Technology Transactions Law Group in May 2007. His practice focuses on technology transactions and online commerce for a wide variety of clients (from start-ups to multinational publicly-held companies) that develop, distribute, and utilize computer and Internet technologies. Such matters involve structuring, drafting, and negotiating domestic and international license, distribution, dealer, development, consulting, non-disclosure, outsourcing, content, hosting, advertising, strategic partnering, joint venture, and marketing agreements. He advises clients on issues relating to compliance with copyright, trade secret, trademark, and patent protection, open source software licensing, privacy, and anti-spam laws, as well as on intellectual property aspects of mergers and acquisitions.
Prior to joining Technology Transactions Law Group, Joel was a partner at GCA Law Partners (formerly known as General Counsel Associates) in Mountain View, California, from 1998 to 2007. Before joining GCA, Joel was a partner at Fenwick & West in Palo Alto, where he headed Fenwick's Licensing and Online Commerce group. He organized Fenwick's first Internet Law Symposium and co-authored its annual International Legal Protection for Software survey. Before coming to California, he was an associate at Mayer, Brown & Platt in Chicago.
Joel received a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School in 1982, and a B.G.S., with distinction, from the University of Michigan in 1972. He has spoken and written widely on legal issues impacting the technology industry. Prior to becoming an attorney, he worked as a computer programmer for five years.
Joel enjoys the challenge of working with new ventures, as well as with existing companies developing new products and services or penetrating new markets.
