WASHINGTON—Today, NetChoice launched an official litigation center to promote NetChoice’s principles in court of protecting free expression and free enterprise online and combatting government efforts to undermine them.
The battleground for the future of innovation and technology in the United States has shifted to the legal system, with politicians moving to pass laws that violate Americans’ constitutional freedoms on the internet.
“We’re fighting to protect free speech and free enterprise online in both the courtroom and the court of public opinion,” said Chris Marchese, the Center’s Director. “The NetChoice Litigation Center will be the go-to source for the future of American tech litigation, to ensure the internet remains safe and free as it ages.”
NetChoice already has four active federal lawsuits against unconstitutional state efforts to abridge free speech and commerce online. Through the NetChoice Litigation Center, we will be able to expand our efforts in court to protect our principles.
Read more about the launch from The Washington Post’s Cat Zakrzewski.
We look forward to keeping the internet safe for free expression and free enterprise by protecting the constitutional rights of all Americans in the courts.
Please contact Krista Chavez at press@netchoice.org with inquiries.
Meet Our Team:
Chris Marchese, NetChoice Litigation Center Director
As the Director of NetChoice’s Litigation Center, Marchese oversees the organization’s legal efforts at both the state and federal level. His expertise includes monitoring and analyzing proposals to create barriers to free speech and free enterprise on the internet, amend § 230 of the Communications Decency Act, and overhaul antitrust enforcement.
Prior to joining NetChoice in 2019, Marchese worked at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Litigation Center, served as a law clerk for the Senate Judiciary Committee and for the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and worked as a communications assistant at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE).
Marchese earned his J.D. from Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, and earned a B.A. in History and Political Science at Boston College, graduating cum laude from both institutions. He is a member of the D.C. Bar and an adjunct professor at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School.
Nicole Saad Bembridge, NetChoice Litigation Center Associate Director
As Associate Director of NetChoice’s Litigation Center, Saad Bembridge focuses on NetChoice’s litigation and amicus efforts. She specializes in reviewing federal and state legislation that affect the First Amendment, freedom of speech, Section 230 and AI.
Before joining NetChoice, Saad Bembridge worked as a legal associate at the Cato Institute’s Center for Constitutional Studies, where she co-authored twelve appellate amicus briefs, a policy analysis on content moderation paradigms, and provided analysis on a broad range of constitutional and statutory issues of first impression. During law school, she worked at the United Nations and at Georgetown University’s Institute for Technology Law & Policy.
Saad Bembridge earned her J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center, where she was a Technology Law and Policy Scholar. She holds B.A.s in Economics and Piano Performance from the University of Washington, Seattle.
Carl Szabo, NetChoice Vice President & General Counsel
As NetChoice Vice President & General Counsel, Szabo analyzes, advocates and testifies on tech-related legislative and regulatory initiatives relevant to online services. He is also an adjunct professor at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School.
Szabo previously worked at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on the staff of Commissioner Orson Swindle, where he helped create and implement the FTC’s Consumer Information Security Outreach Plan and assisted the White House in establishing the National Strategy for Cyber Security.
Szabo obtained his J.D. and Communications Law Certificate Magna Cum Laude from the Catholic University of America. He is licensed to practice law in Washington, DC, is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US), and has been recognized as a “Tech Titan” by Washingtonian.