SiteProfessionals
  • Print
  • Email

Eric K. Ferraro

44 Montgomery Street
Eighteenth Floor
San Francisco, California 94104
Phone:  415.913.4903
Fax:  415.391.8766

Biography

Mr. Ferraro focuses his practice on the representation of private and public emerging and growth companies in the technology and digital media sectors as well as investors and financial services firms that focus on those industries. He has over 16 years of legal and business experience in private practice, in-house, and as a technology company founder and investor. This experience affords Mr. Ferraro the ability to offer clients an integrated counseling approach that balances both legal protections and corporate best practices in business, technical, investment and strategic considerations.

Mr. Ferraro counsels his clients in matters relating to entity formation and founder arrangements, corporate governance, real estate financing, seed and venture capital financing, employment and equity compensation, intellectual property protection, technology licensing and product distribution, mergers and acquisitions, public offerings, and SEC reporting and compliance. He also has significant experience in executive compensation transactions, often representing CEOs and executive teams in high-value mergers and acquisitions transactions.

A founder of IRIS Distribution, a digital media services company, Mr. Ferraro has gained an insider’s perspective on matters relating to digital media law. His clients include enterprise software and mobile developers, social media and gaming companies, internet businesses, music and entertainment companies, and digital creative agencies. He advises these clients on matters such as data security, online privacy, SaaS issues, content licensing, publishing and syndication, copyright and royalty administration, and regulatory issues relating to e-commerce, online advertising and internet law under the DMCA, FTC Act and CAN-SPAM.

A seasoned litigator, Mr. Ferraro has substantial experience representing clients in intellectual property, securities and commercial disputes. In his capacity as outside general counsel, he routinely manages bet-the- company litigation matters including trademark and copyright infringement actions, securities fraud cases, enforcement actions, and business tort and contract matters.

Mr. Ferraro has been recognized as a Northern California Super Lawyer in Business/Corporate law. He is also an advisor to Founders Space. A strong supporter of the arts, Mr. Ferraro is actively involved in the community and its various charitable organizations. He serves as general counsel and sits on the board of directors of Artists for Literacy and is a panel attorney for California Lawyers for the Arts.

Legal Experience

  • LeClairRyan, San Francisco, California, April 2011 – Present 
  • Bullivant Houser Bailey, San Francisco, California

Memberships and Affiliations

  • MobiTechFest: Presenting Sponsor and Panelist, 2010 
  • SF New Tech: Sponsor and Member, 2006 – Present 
  • SF MusicTech Summit: Sponsor and Panelist, 2010 
  • Founders Space: Advisor, 2010 
  • Independent Recording Industry Services, Inc.: Board of Directors, 2003 – Present 
  • Artists for Literacy: Board of Directors, 2000 – Present 
  • San Francisco Bar Association: Member, Business and Intellectual Property Sections 
  • California Lawyers for the Arts: Panel Attorney, 2002 – Present 
  • American Bar Association 
  • Bar Association of San Francisco 
  • State Bar of California

Distinctions

  • Recognized as a Northern California Super Lawyer in Business/Corporate law by Law & Politics magazine, 2011, 2010 and 2005

Education

  • J.D., with honors, Golden Gate University School of Law, 1994
  • B.A., cum laude, University of Vermont, 1988

Bar Admissions

  • California

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit