Brian Willen

Brian Willen is a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. His practice focuses on Internet-related litigation and counseling. Brian advises some of the world’s most innovative online services—including Google, Dropbox, Flipboard, Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr, and YouTube—on a range of complex and sensitive matters.

He has significant expertise in copyright and trademark law, the DMCA safe harbors, the Communications Decency Act, online privacy, government requests for user data, and the First Amendment. For nearly seven years, Brian was one of the lead lawyers for Google in the landmark Viacom v. YouTubelitigation, and he has represented clients in many other copyright and Internet law disputes, including cases under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the Video Privacy Protection Act, and the Wiretap Act.

Prior to joining the firm, Brian worked in the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, where he advised the Executive Branch on complex issues of constitutional law and national security. He clerked for Judge Harry T. Edwards of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (2001-2002) and for Judge Ellen S. Huvelle of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (2002-2003).

EDUCATION:

• J.D., Yale Law School, 2001
  Member, Yale Journal of Law and Humanities
• B.A., English, Yale University, 1998

ADMISSIONS:

• Bar of the District of Columbia
• State Bar of Michigan
• State Bar of New York
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit