Michelle Sherman

TEL: 213.617.5405
FAX: 213.620.1398

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Los Angeles
333 South Hope Street
Forty-Third Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90071

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Michelle Sherman

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Special Counsel  

Michelle Sherman is a former partner at Sheppard Mullin who took one year away to be a Los Angeles County Assistant Public Defender where she further sharpened her trial skills and won all her jury trials. Ms. Sherman returned as special counsel in the Business Trial and Government Contracts Practice Groups in the firm’s Los Angeles office where she specializes in complex litigation matters, and advising companies on social media and Internet legal issues. She is the head of the Social Media Industry Team, and is editor and contributing author to the Firm's Social Media Law Update blog, www.socialmedialawupdate.com.

Ms. Sherman has a monthly Social Media Law column in the Cyberspace Lawyer (Thomson/West), and is a contributing author to the Journal of Internet Law. She has had articles printed in various publications including the e-Commerce Law Report, The Recorder, and California Lawyer magazine.

Ms. Sherman also speaks regularly on social media and Internet legal issues. Ms. Sherman is a regular presenter of webinars for the Federal Publications Seminars, a division of Thomson Reuters. Ms. Sherman also speaks to legal departments and business groups concerning social media and Internet legal issues, ranging from labor and employment issues, trade secrets protection, compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, FINRA requirements, and privacy issues.

Ms. Sherman is an adjunct professor for USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, and will be teaching communications law in the Spring 2012. Ms. Sherman also serves as a faculty member for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy.

Ms. Sherman graduated Order of the Coif from UCLA Law School, and Phi Beta Kappa from Smith College with a degree in psychology. 

Areas of Practice

Michelle Sherman works closely with clients to try and strategize a business dispute so costly litigation can be avoided, and her clients' goals can be achieved in the most cost efficient way. This legal counseling also extends to advising her clients on compliance matters, and includes the drafting of compliance programs for business clients, including social media policies, and updating ethics and compliance policies to address the social media activity of her business clients and their employees.

When litigation is unavoidable, Ms. Sherman has handled a wide range of cases from alleged unfair competition, price fixing, tortious interference with contract, breach of contract, Cal. Business & Professions Code Section 17200 (unfair trade practices), trademark disputes, misappropriation of trade secrets, fraudulent conveyance, partnership disputes, Clean Water Act, and other business and white collar matters, before state and federal courts, arbitrators and FTC administrative judges. Ms. Sherman has tried a number of cases, with her client being the prevailing party in most instances.

Education

  • J.D., University of California at Los Angeles, 1988, Order of the Coif, American Jurisprudence Award in Antitrust
  • B.A., Smith College, 1983, Phi Beta Kappa, Chair of the Academic Honor Board

Articles

  • Anonymous Bloggers and the First Amendment, FindLaw, October 17, 2011
  • Background Check: Social Media And Job Candidates, Employment Law360: Litigation, Policy & People News, October 17, 2011
  • Is Your Company's Social Media Launch Ahead of Its Compliance Program, FindLaw, October 7, 2011
  • Why Every Business Should Have a Social Media Policy, e-Commerce Law Report, August 2010
  • Antitrust Compliance Programs Under The Federal Sentencing Guidelines, Fall 1998
  • Verticle Maximum Price Fixing Is No Longer A Four Letter Word Under Federal Antitrust Law, Spring 1997

Government Contracts Law Blog Articles

Social Media Law Update Blog Articles

Speeches

  • Panelist, "Use of Social Media in IP Litigation", AIPLA (American Intellectual Property Law Association) Midwinter Meeting, Orlando, FL, February 3, 2011
  • Panelist, "Everything - and We Mean Everything - You Need to Know About Social Networking ... But Were Afraid to Ask!", UCLA Law School, February 16, 2011
  • Webinar, "Loose Tweets Sink Fleets - Social Media Policies and Guidance for Government Contractors", Federal Publications Seminars (West Thomson), February 23, 2011
  • Panelist, "Everything - and We Mean Everything - You Need to Know About Social Networking ... But Were Afraid to Ask!", UCLA Law School, March 9, 2011
  • Speaker on Social Media Use, The Straus Council of Distinguished Advisors Annual Meeting, Pepperdine University Law School, April 6, 2011
  • Panelist for program on Social Media, Advertising and Branding, Women Lawyers Association For Los Angeles, Business Section, April 7, 2011
  • Webinar, "Social Media Issues For Corporate Counsel", Federal Publications Seminars (West Thomson), April 27, 2011
  • Webinar, "Safeguarding The Company Jewels: Trade Secrets In The Post-WikiLeaks World", Federal Publications Seminars (West Thomson), May 11, 2011
  • Webinar, "How To Address Defamatory Material On The Internet About Your Business", Federal Publications Seminars (West Thomson), June 14, 2011
  • Webinar, "Social Media Law and Corporate Compliance for Government Contractors ", Federal Publications Seminars (West Thomson), September 21, 2011
  • Webinar, "Social Media Law and Corporate Compliance: Key Policy Elements", Federal Publications Seminars (West Thomson), September 22, 2011
  • Moderator, "Social Media - What Business Owners Need To Know", Vistage International's All-City 2011, Los Angeles, September 27, 2011
  • Speaker, "The Use Of Social Media In The Workplace: OMG/TMI", Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP breakfast program, September 29, 2011
  • Panelist, "Does Tweeting Beat Meeting? – The Ethics of Social Networking", California Minority Counsel Program, October 5, 2011

Events