Best Lawyers in America for Advertising Law
Practice Area Overview
Companies and individuals involved in the advertising and promotion of products require counsel who keep pace with new developments in the ways advertisers interact with consumers and how those efforts are regulated. Counsel must also understand the risks and potential liability associated with the different types of companies involved in advertising and promotional efforts. Together, these skills give advertising attorneys the ability to tailor advice to their client, no matter what type of advertising or promotion-related activity the client provides.
Advertising law also involves recognizing the important balance between maximizing product sales and minimizing legal risk. Legal advice on advertising claims and promotional strategies should be practical and allow clients to make informed business and legal decisions. Creativity also is an important aspect of counseling in this area because advertising attorneys must be able to recognize the many interpretations consumers may infer from advertising claims or business practices and develop innovative solutions to remedy any potential problems those inferences may cause.
Finally, advertising law issues can involve either litigation or enforcement by government regulators. In fact, one can often lead to the other. Advertising attorneys must understand how to manage, and when possible avoid, contesting the same issue on multiple legal fronts. Counsel also should be sensitive to the fact that there are often important strategic differences when dealing with opposing counsel versus a regulatory agency that may play the role of both prosecutor and judge or jury.
Randal M. Shaheen, Partner Venable
Corporate Law & Commercial Litigation Legal Guide 2025
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Ivy Kagan Bierman’s practice includes the representation of entertainment and related companies in labor, production, distribution, technology and other business matters. She handles both transactional and litigation matters for clients. Ivy is one of a select few entertainment industry labor lawyers looked to for representation in guild and union matters by film and television production companies, digital companies and networks, cable networks, public broadcasting companies, distribut...
J. Kathleen (Katie) Bond counsels clients on food, drug, advertising, and labeling regulations with extensive experience in matters related to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other regulatory bodies. She provides advertising and labeling advice on a variety of products, including food, dietary supplements, over-the-counter drugs, personal care products, cosmetics, and CBD products, as well as on apparel, shoes, jewelry, and sports equipmen...
S. Gregory Boyd is a partner and Co-Chair of the Interactive Entertainment Group at Frankfurt Kurnit. He is recognized in the 2023-2025 editions of Best Lawyers in America for Advertising Law and The Legal 500 has praised him for his work with media and technology companies. The National Law Journal ’s 2022 Trailblazers list included him for Sports/Gaming/Entertainment Law. Mr. Boyd focuses on high technology companies especially in advertising, public relations, and the video game indu...
Christopher R. Chase is a partner at Frankfurt Kurnit where he practices intellectual property, advertising, sports, and entertainment law. The 2023-2025 editions of Best Lawyers in America lists Mr. Chase for his advertising work; Super Lawyers magazine has named him a 2019-2023 "Super Lawyer" in media and advertising; and The Legal 500 listed him as a “Next Generation Partner” in 2020, and a “Leading Lawyer” in 2021-2024 for advertising and marketing. He counsels ent...
Christopher Cole is a nationally-recognized litigator who offers strategic counsel to some of the world’s leading companies on protecting their technology and brands from attack by competitors, regulators and private consumer class action claimants. With a practice that covers a wide range of industries and sectors, Chris brings a practical, creative and individualized approach in advising clients on how to navigate advertising, unfair competition, brand disparagement, reputation and in...
Sarah Crooks, a partner in the firm's Commercial Litigation group, focuses her practice on navigating clients through complex business litigation, class action lawsuits and attorney general investigations across a variety of industry sectors, including the telecommunications, food and restaurant, childcare and education and real estate sectors. Sarah also has extensive experience representing clients in the areas of consumer protection, securities litigation, fraudulent transfer litigation an...
Ashima Dayal has more than 25 years of experience guiding clients through legal challenges in their media and marketing activities. She works closely with book and magazine publishers, authors, filmmakers, consumer goods companies, advertising agencies, designers and other individual creative professionals to protect their content and defend their use of third-party material when disputes arise. Ashima’s clients need practical answers. When considering the use of third-party content in ...
Mike's practice focuses on advising clients concerning antitrust and competition law, and intellectual property issues, as well as litigating those issues. His practice spans the breadth of the antitrust and intellectual property arena. His antitrust practice encompasses not only litigation and advising work, but also working with our corporate practice group on merger analysis and preparing transactions for premerger review pursuant to the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act. In addition to screening and ...
Chris Dolan’s clients rely on his practical, business-oriented advice pertaining to trademark and unfair competition litigation, trademark enforcement and trademark counseling matters. His dispute resolution abilities span virtually all phases of trademark and unfair competition cases in federal court, including preliminary injunction actions, bench and jury trials and appellate matters. Chris has handled dozens of complex trademark disputes before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office&r...
Jeff Edelstein is one of the leading advertising, marketing and media lawyers in the United States. He represents clients in all areas of advertising, marketing and media law. Jeff has developed a well-earned reputation for the numerous successes he has achieved on behalf of leading companies involved in false advertising challenges before the National Advertising Division (NAD) and the National Advertising Review Board (NARB) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, the primary self-regula...
Richard Eisert’s practice sits squarely at the crossroads of technology, advertising and marketing, e-commerce, intellectual property and privacy law. With clients ranging from start-ups to global leaders in the technology, online commerce, new media and advertising industries, Richard offers canny counsel on all aspects of marketing, promoting and selling goods and services. As a former intellectual property litigator and as counsel to hundreds of businesses, Richard knows that “...
An established thought leader in the digital media space, Allison Fitzpatrick brings to her clients a thorough understanding of the power of social media, influencer marketing, native advertising and other forms of emerging media. Allison has witnessed firsthand the explosive growth of influencer marketing on social media. As popular bloggers transformed themselves into social media influencers — with marketers signing them to lucrative contracts — she was instrumental in shaping ...
Kenneth R. Florin is one of the industry’s leading experts on matters involving the convergence of advertising and promotions, emerging media, technology and privacy law. In addition to a rich background in traditional marketing and communications, he has been a pioneer in counseling clients at the increasingly blurred cross section of issues associated with the use of new technologies, digital media, and emerging content production and distribution models to extend their global reach. ...
Stu Friedel counsels advertising agencies, advertisers, and consumer goods companies focused in the food, drug, dietary supplements and cosmetics industries. He handles complex issues at the intersection of advertising, marketing, intellectual property and technology, advising on advertising campaigns, product marketing challenges and labeling issues. A pharmacist and former trial attorney with the FTC advertising and promotions regulatory division, Stu possesses exceptional pharma knowledge ...
David Grace is a leader in the field of brand protection, intellectual property, entertainment and advertising, providing both transactional and dispute resolution services. For more than 30 years, Dave has helped clients develop, cultivate and protect their brands and intellectual property rights from creation to globalization. He assists a wide spectrum of clients, from startups to iconic brands and Fortune 500 companies, including entertainment and media companies, major financial institut...
Managing Partner of Frankfurt Kurnit since 2010, Jeffrey A. Greenbaum is one of the country’s leading advertising lawyers. He is a partner in the firm's Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations Group and has extensive experience representing advertisers, advertising agencies, and social media and other online platforms on advertising and intellectual property matters. He is also the Chairman of the Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance. In 2023, Best Lawyers in America named him &ldq...
Lesli D. Harris focuses her practice primarily on intellectual property, sports and entertainment law, and emerging companies. She has also successfully handled class action defense and general business litigation. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Harris was a partner at Stone Pigman Walther Wittman in New Orleans, Louisiana, and was formerly Chief of Staff and Executive Counsel to the President at Loyola University. Ms. Harris received her LL.M in Trade Regulation, with a concentration in Inte...
Over the past 25 years, Brian Heidelberger has represented a multitude of the nation’s most revered brands and agencies in the marketing of their products and services. Recognized as Chicago “Lawyer of the Year” in Advertising Law by Best Lawyers and cited by Chambers USA as a “practical solutions-oriented lawyer” and an “expert in the field of advertising,” Brian is sought after by clients for his cutting-edge legal and industry knowledge, responsive...
Charlie Henn concentrates his practice in the area of intellectual property litigation, including cases involving trademarks, copyrights, patents and trade secrets. Mr. Henn is listed in the 2009 edition of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business for Intellectual Property Litigation (Georgia) and Sports law (Nationwide). He was recognized in The Best Lawyers in America ® 2010 for Intellectual Property Law. LawyersUSA named Mr. Henn one of six "Lawyers of the Year" nationally for ...
Nate Hole counsels clients with respect to emerging marketing, technology, and data-related products and services, including issues related to online and digital marketing and assets, privacy and data optimization, social media integrations, mobile apps, Internet of Things and connected devices, e commerce and electronic payments. Nate provides practical solutions and creative counsel to help clients bring new products and services to market, and to leverage data, technology, connectivity and...
Melanie Howard’s practice focuses on the acquisition, protection, licensing, exploitation and sale of intangible assets for major brands and individual talent. Known for her business-minded approach, she represents clients across a variety of industries, including fashion and luxury retail, esports, automotive, technology, entertainment and media, and financial. Clients regularly turn to Melanie for strategic brand protection guidance and counsel on data privacy matters in the context o...
Mike Hurst’s practice is concentrated in the area of intellectual property law. He has extensive experience in trademark prosecution, protection and portfolio management, copyright matters, domain names, brand management counseling, social media and Web 2.0 issues, as well as intellectual property licensing, both in the U.S. and internationally. Prior to joining Keating Muething & Klekamp, Mike served as Corporate Counsel-IP at Caterpillar Inc. in Peoria, Illinois. He serves as co-l...
Jim Johnston helps sports, entertainment and media clients venture outside their comfort zone and into uncharted territory. By understanding their business goals and managing their risk, he’s cleared paths for clients to invest in film and television programs, launch streaming services, and sponsor sports arenas with worldwide audiences. Fledgling sports leagues turn to him for airtight media, sponsorship and facility partner agreements to get their brands off the ground. Jim’s cl...
A recognized industry thought leader in advertising and media, Candice Kersh has been a member of Frankfurt Kurnit’s Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations practice group for over two decades. Ms. Kersh receives consistent recognition by the most respected legal ranking organizations including being named a best lawyer in Advertising Law by Best Lawyers in America since 2010. Chambers USA America’s Leading Lawyers for Business quotes her client’s praise, saying "Candi...
Jessica Lee helps companies in the U.S. and around the world launch, market and monetize their digital products and content. She advises on everything from interest-based and addressable advertising, data analytics, location-based tracking, smart devices and wearables, to the use of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, VR and AR, and facial recognition. Jessica has assisted dozens of organizations design their privacy programs and operationalize U.S. and international priva...
Andrew Lustigman offers comprehensive counsel to domestic and international clients on advertising, marketing and promotions matters and represents them in regulatory investigations, enforcement actions, and litigation. He chairs Olshan’s Advertising, Marketing & Promotions Group and co-chairs its Brand Management & Protection Group . Marketers, advertisers, agencies and suppliers, among others, regularly seek Andy’s counsel regarding legal aspects of their advertising and...
Helen Mac Murray has been a leader in the consumer protection area for more than two decades. A founding partner of Mac Murray & Shuster LLP, she consults with and represents numerous entities regulated by federal and state consumer protection laws, regularly working with in-house counsel, executive management, and marketing and sales personnel. Helen previously served as Chief of the Ohio Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section, named in 2000 as “National Consumer Prot...
David Mallen is an advertising and media attorney who focuses his practice on helping marketers from a variety of industries with national advertising campaigns, analysis of claim substantiation issues, compliance with consumer protection law, and resolution of advertising disputes. An experienced trial lawyer, David represents clients in all phases of litigation in state and federal court and in alternative dispute resolution. As former deputy director of the National Advertising Division of...
Julia E. Markley is a litigation partner in the Portland, Oregon office of Perkins Coie LLP. She has 14 years of legal experience in the federal and state courts. Her clients include companies in the construction, communications, technology, energy, mining, manufacturing, food, and retail industries. Julia's diverse litigation practice includes complex business, class action, intellectual property, franchise and employment disputes. She has also handled cases involving political and constitut...
Douglas Masters litigates and counsels clients primarily in the areas of intellectual property, advertising and unfair competition. He helps brand owners, sports leagues, athletes and advertisers protect and leverage their branding, marketing and other IP assets. Notably, he has worked with the National Collegiate Athletic Association for nearly 20 years on brand protection strategy, helping strengthen the organization’s ability to support college athletics. Doug has counseled major cor...
Sheila A. Millar is a partner at Keller and Heckman LLP, where she represents businesses and trade associations on a variety of public policy and regulatory issues, including privacy, data security, cybersecurity and advertising matters, as well as product safety issues. She has been involved in a variety of audit and compliance projects, including, among other issues, privacy and data security audits, and is experienced in providing crisis management legal support to a variety of national an...
Brian G. Murphy counsels advertising agencies, advertisers, and entertainment companies as they develop and produce advertising and entertainment properties across all media. Mr. Murphy has been named the 2018 and 2025 "Lawyer of the Year" for Advertising Law by Best Lawyers in America. His practice focuses on copyright, trademark , right of publicity/right of privacy, false advertising, unfair competition, and defamation. Mr. Murphy negotiates and structures celebrity talent agreements, agen...
Brian Nixon’s practice spans advertising, technology, emerging media and privacy, with particular focus on clients implementing targeted advertising strategies and other data-driven marketing initiatives across various media channels. He provides forward-thinking counsel to clients ranging from startups (including social media platforms and emerging media ventures) to Fortune 500 companies. He advises organizations of all sizes on data optimization, mobile commerce, Telephone Consumer P...
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Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
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