One of publishing's most famous lawyers is changing jobs. Martin Garbus, known for his provocative stances in high-profile (and often long-running) publishing cases, is leaving the firm he helped found to join Davis & Gilbert.
His new employer is a larger firm with about 100 lawyers, more than double the staff of Frankfurt, Garbus, Kurnit, Klein and Selz, and concentrates more heavily on litigation. That factor, said Garbus, was the main reason for his decision. "The issues that come up are getting more and more complex. To do litigation in the copyright area today, you need the kind of support that Davis & Gilbert has," he said. He added that many of his publishing-related cases will involve defending publisher clients.
In the past, Garbus has been on both sides of the table, defending publishers—as he did in the Lo's Diary case—and suing them—as he did with Wind Done Gone. Garbus also has extensive experience with First Amendment issues. Garbus, who begins his new job early next year, will not be a name partner at his new firm.
