Robert Freund is an experienced business litigator and advisor.  He focuses his practice on advertising compliance and litigation, with an emphasis on e-commerce and social media marketing issues.  Before opening his own firm, Mr. Freund honed his legal skills working at Greenberg Traurig, LLP, one of the largest and most respected international law firms.  Mr. Freund has represented individuals and companies in complex commercial litigation, including consumer class actions and claims related to advertising and unfair competition.  He also has represented clients in the entertainment, real estate, and financial services industries.

Mr. Freund is also the creator and founder of InfluencersIQ, the first comprehensive legal compliance training and certification program for social media influencers.

While in law school at UC Davis, Mr. Freund clerked for the Consumer Protection Unit of the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, where he worked on civil and criminal cases involving fraud, deceptive advertising, anticompetitive practices, and other economic crimes.  Mr. Freund also served as an editor of the UC Davis Law Review.

Mr. Freund has lectured about social media advertising law at the University of Southern California, the University of San Diego, the Fashion Institute of Technology, and the IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, and he has been quoted in The New York Times and Forbes.com on those issues.

Mr. Freund has served on the Board of Governors of the Century City Bar Association since 2013 and as President from 2017-2018, and he currently serves on the Board of Directors of Social Media Club Los Angeles.  Mr. Freund was named as a Southern California Super Lawyers Rising Star in Media & Advertising for 2020 and 2021.

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

• Counseled video game company regarding packaging and labeling language, television advertisements, and software warranty issues
• Defended major television network against copyright and unfair business practices claims in excess of $20 million
• Defended pharmaceutical company against product liability claims, including affirmance of dismissal with prejudice on appeal before Ninth Circuit
• Defended international bank against fraud claims, including affirmance of dismissal with prejudice on appeal before Ninth Circuit
• Defended apparel company in class action alleging violations of California’s False Advertising Law based on “sale price” advertising

EDUCATION

J.D., University of California at Davis

B.A., Economics, The College of William & Mary

BAR ADMISSIONS

• California
• U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

PUBLICATIONS

• FTC’s Crackdown on Influencer Marketing Is Just Getting Started, Talking Influence (April 1, 2020)
• Fake Followers; Real Problems, National Law Review (May 1, 2019)
• Congress Mulls New Clean Air Act Racecar Rules, Daily Journal (November 16, 2017)

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS AND MEDIA APPEARANCES

• Speaker, GeekOut San Diego (July 8-11, 2021)
• Podcast Guest, Advertising Made Legal, Perfectly Mentored Podcast (May 18, 2021)
• Podcast Guest, US Lawyer Robert Freund Shares The Latest FTC Guidelines On Influencer Marketing, Influence Global Podcast (April 30, 2021)
• Speaker, Tips, Tactics, and To-Dos when Contracting with Influencers, Content Marketing Conference (April 27-29, 2021)
• Speaker, Social Media Influencers and Regulations, New York City Bar (April 21, 2021)
• Speaker, Advertising Law Symposium, Cardozo School of Law (April 12, 2021)
• Guest Lecturer, Influencer Relations, University of Southern California (March 2, 2021)
• Speaker, Advertising Law and Podcasting, PodFest Global Summit (March 1, 2021)
• Guest Lecturer, E-Commerce & Advertising Law, Fashion Institute of Technology (February 23, 2021)
• Podcast Guest, Protect Yourself & Your Business on Social Media, Social Media University (February 19, 2021)
• Podcast Guest, Protect Yourself & Business from Being Sued, Hustle Inspires Hustle Podcast (February 3, 2021)
• Podcast Guest, Social Media Law, The Buster Show (January 12, 2021)
• Guest Lecturer, Influencer Marketing, IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems (October 27-28, 2020)
• Podcast Guest, The Legal Side Of Social Media With Robert Freund, The Buster Show (October 20, 2020)
• Podcast Guest, Must Know Laws Behind Social Media Marketing and Online Advertising, University of Adversity Podcast (October 12, 2020)
• Guest Lecturer, Business and Society, University of San Diego School of Business (October 8, 2020)
• Podcast Guest, Data Privacy Update: GDPR & CCPA, B2B Lead Gen Podcast (August 6, 2020)
• Podcast Guest, Influencer Law & The Digital Courtroom, The Shining Icon Show (July 29, 2020)
• Quoted in TikTok’s Format Offers a Loophole for Branded Content Disclosures, Forbes.com (June 11, 2020)
• Author, Tips for Influencers Endorsing Health and Wellness Products During the Pandemic, NoFilter (June 1, 2020)
• Speaker, Hot Topics and Trends in Advertising Law, Stay Home Conference (May 12, 2020)
• Quoted in Everyone Is Giving Away Cash on Instagram, The New York Times (April 27, 2020)
• Guest Lecturer, Influencer Relations, University of Southern California (April 14, 2020)
• Guest Lecturer, Compliance with Social Media Advertising and Influencer Marketing, University of San Diego School of Business (April 7, 2020)
• Speaker/Presenter, Webinar: Going Live on Legal Issues in E-Commerce & Online Advertising, presented with RM Warner Law (March 11, 2020)
• Quoted in Should Social Media Influencers Get Certification?, Forbes.com (March 2, 2020)
• Speaker, Influencer Marketing Conference & Expo (February 25-26, 2020)
• Speaker/Teacher, GeekOut Los Angeles (February 21-23, 2020)
• Guest Blog Author, FTC Influencer Guidelines: Updates 2019, The Influencer Grapevine (November 18, 2019)
• Speaker, Social Media Marketing: Make it Legal, Social Media Club of Los Angeles (September 24, 2019)
• Quoted in Copyright Infringement: Are You Stealing Intellectual Property?, Business News Daily (September 16, 2019)
• Speaker and Panel Moderator, Influencer Marketing Conference & Expo (July 9, 2019)
• Quoted in Testosterone, Low Testosterone, and the Men’s Health Crisis That Wasn’t, Fatherly (June 4, 2019)
• Quoted in FTC’s Fake Reviews Settlement May Spur E-Commerce Fairness Era, E-Commerce Times (February 28, 2019)