About

Brent C.J. Britton is a technology lawyer, teacher, and author in San Francisco, California, and Tampa, Florida. A former computer scientist and software engineer, Britton was the first graduate of the MIT Media Laboratory to become a lawyer and he was the first volunteer legal associate at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Recently described by 83 Degrees magazine as “arguably the most sought after one-man think tank for entrepreneurs across Central Florida,” Britton has been advising technology companies for more than 20 years in Boston, Silicon Valley, New York, and Florida.

In 2013, Britton published “Ownability: How Intellectual Property Works,” which has been adopted as the text for teaching IP law to engineers at Santa Clara University in Silicon Valley. In the 1990’s, he founded Britton Silberman & Cervantez, LLP, the San Francisco law firm that, prior to its acquisition in 2000, was noted in the press for its long list of dot-com clients, including craigslist and LinkedIn, and its “young, hip, cool, and fun” atmosphere.

Alongside his current position as managing partner of the Tampa office of the San Francisco law firm, de la Peña & Holiday LLP, Britton is adjunct professor of creativity and innovation at the University of South Florida, and a director or member of several eleemosynary and civic organizations. An accomplished entrepreneur in his own right, Britton has since his high-school days been a founder, co-founder, or investor in a number of successful startup companies and organizations devoted to entrepreneurial advocacy and education.

Britton holds a JD with honors in intellectual property from Boston University School of Law, a MS in digital media arts & sciences from MIT, and a BA with high distinction in computer science and finance from the University of Maine. He is licensed to practice law in California, New York, and Florida. He is rated AV-preeminent by Martindale-Hubble, and he is listed annually among the Florida Legal Elite and the Best Lawyers in America. In 2007, he was named a distinguished alumnus of the MIT Media Laboratory.

Brent is a founder or co-founder of:

• 2013, Renewable Energy Importers, Tampa — importer of used motor and vegetable oils for recycling;
• 2013, Moore’s Cloud, Tampa and Sydney, Australia — manufacturer of the world’s smartest Christmas lights;
• 2011, Gazelle Lab, Tampa Bay — TechStars startup accelerator and venture fund;
• 2009, DealerWizard, Tampa — maker of automotive dealership management software;
• 2009, Lextrovert, Tampa — provider of crowdsourced continuing legal education (defunct);
• 2009, LawMachine, Tampa and San Francisco — lawyer-client matching site (defunct);
• 2007, VerifIP, Tampa — maker of intellectual property portfolio management software;
• 1997, Britton, Silberman & Cervantez, San Francisco — technology law firm (acquired);
• 1996, Light Intertainment Corporation, Los Angeles — one of Hollywood’s first website design firms (acquired);
• 1991, Britton Enterprises, Boston — software engineering consultancy (defunct);
  
  and

• 1981, The Howland Job Bank, Howland, Maine — Odd job matching service for teens.

For fun, Brent plays classical piano, lifts weights, and runs. He also writes and speaks frequently on nearly any subject presented. He lives in Tampa, Florida, but spends as much time as possible in San Francisco.

Learn more about Brent on his slideshare page, his law firm bio, his linkedin page, his twitter feed, and his facebook page.