Expert Witness Cases

Chris Silver Smith has served as an expert witness in over 35 lawsuits. As an SEO Expert Witness, Smith has provided guidance to clients and courts on how search engines function, how webpages are ranked in search results, and how website operators’ actions have impacted websites and individuals. Smith has served as an expert witness in cases involving: search engines and search engine optimization; social media; domain names; pay-per-click advertising; Amazon Merchant Center and Amazon Ads; Twitter; APIs; Google; Bing; Yahoo!; cybersquatting; trademark infringement; copyright infringement; online defamation; online reviews and ratings; Facebook; YouTube; Instagram; product counterfeiting; black hat SEO; hacking; astroturfing; fraud; unfair trade practices; porn revenge; extortion; and impersonation.

Smith has served both plaintiffs and defendants, and the majority of his clients have either prevailed in their cases or have been able to negotiate favorable settlements. Chris Silver Smith’s clients have collectively received over $95 million in damages awards and settlement payments as a result of his work.

Some of Smith’s best-known litigation clients have included: Starbucks, Adidas, Versace, GoDaddy, and PODS Enterprises. Some notable companies that have opposed Smith’s clients in court have included: Google, Bing, U-Haul, and The Academy of Arts & Motion Picture Sciences (the organization behind The Academy Awards).

Expert Witness Cases

2022 – Providing expert consulting service on behalf of the plaintiff in “GOLO, LLC, v. Goli Nutrition Inc., a Canadian Corporation, and Goli Nutrition Inc., a Delaware Corporation.” Status: Ongoing.
2022 – Providing expert witness service on behalf of the plaintiff in “Wearable Shoe Tree, LLC v. Crep Protect Inc., Crep Protect Ltd., Israel Arteaga, and John Doe.” Status: Settled.
2022 – Providing expert witness service on behalf of the plaintiff in “San Juan Products, Inc.; American Environmental Container Corp; v. River Pools & Spas, Inc.; Thursday Pools LLC; Jason Hughes; Jim Spiess; Marcus Sheridan; Cristian Shirilla; Alex Planes; Does 1-10, inclusive.” Status: Ongoing.
2022 – Providing expert witness service on behalf of the plaintiff in “American Mortgage Corporation v. Ryan L. Kelley, and The Home Loan Expert, LLC, and RKIP, LLC.” Status: Settled.
2022 – Providing expert witness service on behalf of the plaintiff in “Capstone Realty Consultants, Inc. v. Arkan Abdusalam, Rafah Samir, John Doe 1 a.k.a. ‘ARK ABD’, John Doe 3 a.k.a. ‘Mustafa Sam’, John Doe 3 a.k.a. ‘Barbara Seth’, John Doe 4 a.k.a. ‘Ethan Richard’, John Doe 5 a.k.a. ‘Eman Sam’.” Status: Ongoing.
2022 – Hired by the plaintiff to provide expert witness service on behalf of the court in “Janice Margaret Duffy v. Google Inc.” in the Supreme Court of South Australia in the Civil Jurisdiction. Status: The court found in favor of the plaintiff in 2023. A settlement agreement for damages is forthcoming.
2022 – Provided expert witness service on behalf of the plaintiff in “R redacted LLC, v. Twitter Inc.”, a JAMS arbitration case. Status: Settled.
2022 – Providing expert witness service on behalf of the defendant in “Edison Brewing Company vs. Gourmet Fresh.” Status: Settled.
2021 – Providing expert witness service on behalf of the defendants in “Boost Beauty, LLC, v. Woo Signatures, LLC, Tadeh Booghosianssardabi, Farshid Karamzad Goflsaz, Arash Sedighi, and Does 1 through 10, inclusive.” Status: Settled.
2021 – Providing expert witness service on behalf of the plaintiff in “RBG Plastic, LLC, d/b/a Restaurantware v. The Webstaurant Store, d/b/a Webstaurantstore.com; and Clark Associates, Inc.” Status: Ongoing.
2021 – Provided expert witness service on behalf of the plaintiff in “Jane Doe 1 v. SK Intertainment, an Illinois corporation, and Does 1 through 20, inclusive.” Status: Settled.
2021 – Providing expert witness service on behalf of the plaintiff in “Kerry Angelos vs. Greg Schatzel and Susan Schatzel, husband and wife, and Does 1 through 10, inclusive.” Status: Ongoing.
2021 – Providing expert witness service on behalf of the plaintiff in “Adidas America, Inc., an Oregon corporation; and Adidas AG, a foreign entity, v. Fashion Nova, Inc., a California corporation” Status: Settled.
2021 – Provided expert consulting service on behalf of the plaintiff in “Harbor Breeze Corporation, a California corporation; and L.A. Waterfront Cruises, LLC, a California limited liability company, v. Newport Landing Sportfishing, Inc., a California corporation; Davey’s Locker Sportfishing, Inc., a California corporation; Ocean Explorer, Inc., a California corporation; Freelance Sportfishing, Inc., a California corporation; and DOES 1-10.” Status: Ongoing.
2020 – Providing expert witness service on behalf of the plaintiff in “Hoglund, Chwialkowski & Mrozik, P.L.L.C. vs. Kain & Scott, P.A.” Status: Ongoing.
2020 – Provided expert witness service on behalf of the plaintiff in “Gianni Versace S.R.L. v. Fashion Nova, Inc.” Status: Settled.
2020 – Provided expert witness service on behalf of the plaintiff in “Kewazinga Corp. v. Microsoft Corporation.” Status: Ongoing.
2020 – Provided expert witness service on behalf of the defendants in “Teamworks Innovation, Inc., vs. Starbucks Corporation, JDA Software Group, Inc., JDA Software, Inc.” Status: Settled.
2020 – Provided expert witness testimony in court, independently, in “Domain Protection, LLC, vs. Sea Wasp, LLC, Vernon Decossas, and Gregory Faia.” Status: Individual owners of defendant Sea Wasp were excused from liability in the case, and the court returned a no-damages verdict for the plaintiff.
2019 – Provided expert witness service on behalf of the plaintiff in “Dekeo, Inc. vs. Jason Haft.” Status: Settled.
2019 – Provided expert witness service on behalf of the defendant in “Homevestors of America Inc v. Big State Home Buyers LLC et al.” Status: Settled.
2018 – Provided expert witness service on behalf of the plaintiff in “Grasshopper House, LLC v. Clean & Sober Media LLC, Cliffside Malibu, Richard L. Taite, and Does 1-10.” Status: Plaintiff prevailed in their complaint and in the countersuit, and the case is closed.
2018 – Provided expert witness consulting service on behalf of the plaintiff in “Booya Charters of Key West, Inc., v. Jumpem LLC, a Florida limited liability Company, and Chris Gardner, Chris Garcia, and Damon Santelli.” Status: Favorable settlement.
2018 – Provided expert witness service on behalf of the defendant in “Reputation Management Consultants, Inc., v. Brian Ferdinand.” Status: Favorable settlement.
2018 – Provided expert witness service on behalf of the plaintiff in “Marcos V. Taccolini and Tatsoft, LLC v. Schneider Electric Software, LLC, successor by merger to Indusoft, Inc., f/k/a Indusoft Business Development, Inc., Ernest T. Roland, and Marcia R. Gadbois.” Status: Favorable settlement.
2018 – Provided an amicus curiae brief in “United States v. Michael Arnstein.”
2018 – Provided expert witness service on behalf of the defendant in “Michael Grecco Productions, Inc. d/b/a Michael Grecco Photography, Inc. v. Robert Arthur Cross d/b/a Rare Realty; Car Property Group, Inc.; and Does 1 through 10 inclusive.” Status: Settled.
2017 – Provided expert witness service on behalf of the defendant in “Tempur-Pedic North America, LLC, Sealy Mattress Company, Dan-Foam Aps, and Sealy Technology LLC v. Mattress Firm, Inc.”. Status: Cancelled.
2017 – Provided expert witness service on behalf of the plaintiff in “Rainsoft, a division of Aquion, Inc. v. Brian MacFarland, d/b/a ‘Lazy Man & Money’.” Status: Favorable settlement.
2017 – Provided expert services on behalf of “Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Universal City Studios Productions LLLP, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., Paramount Pictures Corporation, Disney Enterprises, Inc., and Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.” in preparation for possible undisclosed litigation. Status: Case suspended.
2016 – Provided expert witness service on behalf of the plaintiff in “Jay M. Pensler, M.D., vs. Fox Television Stations, Inc. et al.” Status: Favorable settlement.
2016 – Provided expert witness service on behalf of the plaintiff in “DoHardMoney.com, Inc. v. Crouse, Jennifer.” Status: Plaintiff prevailed.
2015 to 2016 – Provided expert witness service on behalf of the plaintiff in “Roseville Fullerton Burton Holdings, LLC DBA Discounted Wheel Warehouse, a California Limited Liability Company v. SOCAL Wheels, Inc., a California Corporation; Wheel Warehouse, Inc., a California Corporation and DOES 1-10, inclusive”. Status: Dismissed due to laches.
2015 – Provided expert witness service on behalf of the plaintiff in “Bindu Pariyar, Plaintiff v. Tom Randall Sewell, Defendant” (Cause No. DC-14-06619 in 68th Judicial District Court, Dallas County, Texas). Outcome: The court found in favor of the plaintiff. (See: “Nepali woman wins $7.25M judgment in revenge porn suit against ex-husband”.)
2014 to 2015 – Provided expert witness service for the defendant, GoDaddy, in “Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences v. Godaddy.com, Inc; Domains By Proxy, Inc., Greendomainmarket.com, BDS, and XPDreamteam LLC.” Outcome: The court found in favor of the defendants. (See “Film Academy Loses to GoDaddy in Oscars Cybersquatting Battle”)
2014 – Provided expert witness service for the plaintiff in “Daniel Hegglin v. (1) Person(s) Unknown and (2) Google, Inc.”. Outcome: Favorable settlement was successfully negotiated with Google.
2014 – Provided expert witness service for the lawsuit, “PODS Enterprises, Inc. v. U-Haul International, Inc.” on behalf of the plaintiffs. The court found in favor of the plaintiffs. (See “PODS wins $62 million award in trademark infringement lawsuit against U-Haul”)
2012 – Provided expert witness work for the class action, “Local 731 I.B. of T. Excavators and Pavers Pension Trust Fund et al. v. Swanson et al” on behalf of the plaintiffs. Outcome: A favorable settlement was successfully negotiated.
2008 – Provided expert testimony for the U.S. Department of Justice — informal hearing on the proposed MicroSoft/Yahoo! (“Microhoo”) merger and Google/Yahoo! advertising syndication deals.