Ian C. Ballon

Ian Ballon is an intellectual property, AI, and Internet litigator who is the Co-Chair of Greenberg Traurig LLP’s Global Intellectual Property & Technology Practice Group. He represents clients in copyright, DMCA, trademark, trade secret, right of publicity, privacy, security, software, database and Internet- and mobile-related disputes and in the defense of data privacy, cybersecurity breach, adtech and other Internet- and mobile- related class action litigation and arbitration.

Mr. Ballon, who splits his time between the firm's Silicon Valley, L.A., and D.C. offices, is the author of the five-volume legal treatise, E-Commerce and Internet Law: Treatise With Forms 2d Edition (West 2008 & 2022 Cum. Supp., www.ianballon.net ) and the earlier first edition, which has been cited in state and federal court opinions. In addition, he serves as the Executive Director of Stanford University Law School’s Center for the Digital Economy . He also chairs PLI's annual Advanced Defending Data Privacy, Cybersecurity Breach and TCPA Class Action Litigation conference . Mr. Ballon previously served as an advisor to ALI’s Intellectual Property: Principles Governing Jurisdiction, Choice of Law, and Judgments in Transactional Disputes (ALI Principles of the Law 2007) and was a member of the consultative group for the Data Privacy Principles of Law project ( ALI Principles of the Law Data Privacy, 2020 ).

Mr. Ballon was named the Lawyer of the Year for Information Technology Law in the 2026, 2024, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2016, and 2013 editions of Best Lawyers in America and was recognized as the 2012 New Media Lawyer of the Year by the Century City Bar Association. In 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2018 he was recognized as one of the Top 1,000 trademark attorneys in the world for his litigation practice by World Trademark Review. In addition, in 2019 he was named one of the Top 20 Cybersecurity lawyers in California and in 2018 one of the Top Cybersecurity/Artificial Intelligence lawyers in California by the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal. He received the “Trailblazer” Award, Intellectual Property, 2017 from The National Law Journal and he has been recognized as a “Groundbreaker” in The Recorder’s 2017 Litigation Departments of the Year Awards for winning a series of TCPA cases. In addition, he was the recipient of the California State Bar Intellectual Property Law section's Vanguard Award for significant contributions to the development of intellectual property law. He is listed in Legal 500 U.S., The Best Lawyers in America (in the areas of information technology and intellectual property) and Chambers and Partners USA Guide in the areas of privacy and data security and information technology.

He has been recognized as one of the Top 75 intellectual property litigators in California by the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal in every year that the list has been published (2009 through 2022). He was also listed in Variety’s “Legal Impact Report: 50 Game-Changing Attorneys” (2012), was recognized as one of the Top 100 lawyers in California by the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal L.A., as one of the Top 100 lawyers in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal and has appeared on both the Northern California and Southern California Super Lawyers lists.

Mr. Ballon is admitted to practice in state and federal courts in California, the District of Columbia, and Maryland, federal court in Colorado, and before the U.S. Supreme Court and multiple U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal.

He has also been elected to membership in the American Law Institute and holds the CIPP/US certification from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).

Recognition & Leadership

Awards & Accolades

•Named, Daily Journal, one of the Top Intellectual Property Lawyers, 2022-2026
•Named, Daily Journal, one of the '75 Top IP Litigators in California,' 2009-2020
•Named, Daily Journal, one of the Top Cyber/Artificial Intelligence Lawyers in California, 2018-2019
•Listed, World Trademark Review, 'WTR 1000,' 2018-2026
•Ranked in California, Enforcement and Litigation, 2018-2026
•Listed, Northern California Super Lawyers, 2004-2024
•Listed, Managing IP Magazine's World IP Handbook and Survey, 'IP Stars,' 2013-2025
•Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Information Technology Law; Technology Law, 2001-2026
•Listed, 'Lawyer of the Year' in Information Technology Law, Los Angeles, 2013, 2016, 2020, 2022, 2024
•Listed, 'Lawyer of the Year' in Technology Law, San Jose, 2023, 2026
•Listed, 'Lawyer of the Year' in Technology Law, Los Angeles, 2018, 2020
•Listed, 'Lawyer of the Year' in Information Technology Law, San Jose, 2019
•Listed, Los Angeles' Best Lawyers, 2012
•Listed, Litigation - Intellectual Property, 2011-2026
•Listed Privacy and Data Security Law, 2021-2026
•Listed, Trade Secrets Law, 2024-2026
•Listed, Northern California's Best Lawyers, Information Technology Law, Intellectual Property Law, Privacy and Data Security Law, Technology Law, 2001-2021
•Listed, The Legal 500 United States, 2007-2019, 2023-2025
•Listed, Thomson Reuters, 'Stand-Out Lawyers,' 2022-2026
•Listed, Lawdragon 500, 'Leading Lawyers in America,' 2018-2019, 2022
•Honoree, The National Law Journal, 'Trailblazer' Award, Intellectual Property, 2017
•Recipient, Lexology's 'Client Choice' Award, IT & Internet: California, 2017
•Listed, Chambers USA Guide, 2009-2016, 2022-2025
•Listed, Chambers Global, Privacy & Data Security (USA), 2008-2016
•Listed, The International Who's Who of Internet & eCommerce Lawyers, 2008-2014
•Recipient, “Groundbreaker” Award, The Recorder’s 2017 Law Departments of the Year Awards, San Francisco
•Recognized, Los Angeles Business Journal, 'Most Influential Lawyers: Digital Media and E-Commerce Law,' 2014
•Listed, Variety, 'Legal Impact Report: 50 Game-Changing Attorneys,' 2012
•Recipient, 'New Media Lawyer of the Year' Award, Century City Bar Association, 2012
•Recognized, Los Angeles Business Journal, 'Who's Who in L.A. Law: Angelenos to Know in Intellectual Property Law,' 2012
•Recipient, 'Vanguard' Award, State Bar of California Intellectual Property Law Section, 2010
•Listed, IAM 250 - The World's Leading IP Strategists, 2009-2010
•Recommended, PLC Which Lawyer?, 2009 Yearbook
•Listed, Los Angeles Daily Journal, list of Top Verdicts for obtaining the third largest plaintiff's verdict in California, 2008
•Named, Daily Journal, one of the 50 Top IP Litigators in California, 2008
•Named, Daily Journal, one of the Top 100 Lawyers In California, 2008
•Listed, Los Angeles Magazine, Southern California Super Lawyer, 2007-2008
•Named, Technology, Media and Telecommunications Expert Guide, one of the world's leading lawyers, 2005-2006
•Named, Daily Journal, one of the top 25 copyright, trademark and patent lawyers in California, 2003
•Named, California Law Business, one of the 100 most influential lawyers in California, 2001
•Listed, Daily Journal's magazine, one of 16 top new-media lawyers in the United States, 2001
•Named, California Law Business, one of the top 20 California Lawyers under the age of 40, 1999
•Rated, AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5.0