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Clyde DeWitt’s law practice is remarkably diverse. The litigation component of it has ranged from business disputes to copyright, trademark and general entertainment litigation, all growing from his First Amendment practice from which he has gained substantial notoriety nationwide. However, his litigation experience begat a significant transactional practice. “The heart of constructing a solid business deal,” he noted, “is to be sure that nothing will go wrong – litigation is where you find out what has gone wrong.”
Mr. DeWitt often is called upon by startup businesses to handle the panoply of challenges facing the entrepreneur. “Startup businesses blunder with remarkable regularity attempting to save a few bucks on legal fees,” he observed. “Correcting a simple legal error at the outset can save literally tens of thousands of dollars – sometimes even the entire business – in the long pull. Don’t fill your own teeth, either!”
His litigation practice began with the first seven years of his career in the District Attorneys Office in Houston, where he was responsible for criminal and civil trials and appeals. Since leaving that position in 1980, he has handled litigation matters – literally – from coast to coast, as well as transactional matters for many of the same clients.
In 1980, he initiated his impressive practice of representing adult entertainment businesses – including adult book and video stores, adult cabarets, among others; and then, from the beginning, adult Internet businesses. He has spearheaded anti-censorship litigation in dozens of jurisdictions around the country and has defended numerous obscenity prosecutions over the years, including defense of the adult motion picture industry back when 35-mm adult features were still shown in theaters.
His monthly legal columns since the 1980’s in the Adult Video News family of publications and elsewhere have informed and entertained readers for decades. His engaging public speaking style led him to be described as “the Will Rogers of the adult industry (Will there be a Clyde DeWitt State Beach?),” although his litigation opponents likely think otherwise.
Although he continues to maintain a strong practice representing adult businesses, the range of his clientele has broadened considerably over the years. “When your client is in the sex business,” he observed, “you automatically start out with your foot in the bucket, no matter what you are trying to accomplish; representing mainstream businesses is a comparative piece of cake.”
His broad range of legal expertise ranges from trademarks, copyrights, unfair competition, business considerations and general entertainment issues to obscenity issues and adult zoning to emerging hurdles involving and other important legal problems that currently plague businesses owners.
Ironically, Mr. DeWitt’s educational background is equally diverse, including an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering which propelled him instinctively into the Internet Age; he also holds a Masters degree from the Business School at the University of Houston, where he received his law degree. |
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