Adult Site Broker Talk Episode 278 with Larry Walters of the Walters Law Group

Episode Description

Lawrence G. Walters leads the Walters Law Group, focusing his practice on Internet law, intellectual property, gaming, and First Amendment matters.

Over the years, Mr. Walters has developed a strong passion for protecting civil liberties—particularly online speech and expression.

He has dedicated more than 35 years to defending constitutional rights and championing free speech.

Recognized as an accomplished civil rights advocate, Mr. Walters is also a widely published author and a sought-after public speaker.

He frequently represents clients in the online entertainment sector as well as more traditional industries.

Known nationally as an expert on freedom of speech and Internet law, Larry is often called upon to provide commentary on television news programs for networks such as NBC, ABC, PBS, BBC, CBC, FNC, MSNBC, CNBC, and CNN.

Major publications, including the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post frequently cover his high-profile cases.

Larry began practicing law in Central Florida in 1988 after graduating with honors from Florida State University College of Law. While in law school, he studied English common law at St. Edmund’s Hall, Oxford University, and interned with a federal judge in the Northern District of Florida.

Throughout his career, Walters has served as a Legal Studies professor at the University of Central Florida and held leadership positions with his local bar association and chamber of commerce. He chaired the Legal Panel of the ACLU’s Central Chapter and is a founding member of the Advisory Council for UCF’s Legal Studies Department.

He also serves as General Counsel to the Woodhull Freedom Foundation in Washington, DC, and sits on the Advisory Council for the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection. Larry has founded and directed numerous nonprofit associations and trade groups. His work combating online child exploitation earned him the Annual Service Recognition Award from the ASACP.

In 2011, his undergraduate alma mater, the University of Central Florida, honored Walters with both “Outstanding Alumni” and “Professional Achievement” awards.

Mr. Walters has been rated “AV” (preeminent) by lawyers.com and holds a “10.0 – Superb” rating from AVVO.com.

Since 2020, he has been named a “Super Lawyer” by Superlawyers.com, a recognition given to only the top 5% of attorneys.

His accolades also include being listed among Xbiz’s Top 100 News Makers, ranking in the top 10% of the Orlando Business Journal’s ‘Best of the Bar,’ and receiving multiple recognitions as First Amendment Lawyer of the Year.

Mr. Walters’ First Amendment law practice began in the late 1980s, when he defended numerous small video stores in Florida against obscenity charges.

In 1997, he founded the Florida Bar’s First Amendment Law Committee, serving as its chair for over a decade. Today, he represents hundreds of website operators worldwide on complex Internet law and intellectual property matters.

His work regularly involves legal issues tied to online advertising, gaming, free speech, Section 230 immunity, DMCA safe harbor, Section 2257 compliance, domain disputes, blockchain, and other emerging areas. Walters is frequently at the forefront of precedent-setting cases involving online gaming, adult entertainment, social media, and advertising law—many through pro bono representation.

A frequent lecturer on legal issues, Walters has presented seminars nationwide on Internet law and the First Amendment. He publishes extensively, authoring articles and updates relevant to the online entertainment community across a wide range of platforms.

In 2005, Walters was appointed to the Board of Officers of the First Amendment Lawyers Association, where he later served as National Chairman and President.

He is admitted to practice before all state and federal courts in Florida, the United States Supreme Court, the Ninth, Eleventh, and D.C. Circuit Courts of Appeals, and the U.S. Claims Court. In 2016, he also became certified as a foreign-trained lawyer by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada after rigorous examination.

Walters Law Group is an AV-rated firm that has specialized in First Amendment and adult entertainment law for more than 35 years, representing clients worldwide.

The firm serves many of the largest and most recognized names in the adult industry as well as independent creators and smaller businesses.

Its clients include online platforms, producers, performers, hosts, pay sites, and content aggregators.

Walters Law Group advises clients on a wide spectrum of issues, including intellectual property, First Amendment protections, DMCA safe harbor, FOSTA/SESTA, Section 2257 compliance, age verification, content moderation, mobile apps, cryptocurrency, and litigation across all levels of court.

The firm has defended high-profile obscenity prosecutions, pursued civil rights claims, and litigated complex intellectual property disputes nationwide.

Walters Law Group has also participated in numerous United States Supreme Court cases involving First Amendment law.