Douglas N. Freifeld

Drawing on four decades of experience, Douglas N.  Freifeld focuses his practice on collective bargaining and other labor and employment law matters, professional ethics and governance issues. Representing California public entities, including school and community college districts, superior courts, special districts, and housing authorities, Douglas provides outstanding value for clients through understanding clients’ interests and the interests of valued partners and stakeholders in order to find agreements and other mutually beneficial resolutions.  

In addition to his expertise in collective bargaining, Douglas regularly handles labor arbitrations and administrative hearings, frequently appearing before California’s Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) and other administrative bodies. With a strong belief that a foundation of good labor relations makes everything else run smoothly, Douglas excels in high-level conflict resolution.  

With a congenial and practical approach, Douglas knows how to bring people together. He’s gratified to work with his team to find common ground, compromise astutely and resolve matters satisfactorily so all involved parties can move forward. His in-depth understanding of negotiation techniques, including interest-based bargaining (IBB), as well as his ability to explore and achieve creative solutions, make him a go-to attorney for crafting resolutions to seemingly intractable problems.  

As F3’s Ethics Counsel, Douglas ensures the firm’s attorneys stay updated and rigorously observant of the requirements of the California State Bar’s Rules of Professional Conduct and other law practice mandates. He’s proud to help colleague attorneys remain focused on client-centered priorities. Additionally, Douglas passes his broad and deep knowledge in numerous training sessions on subjects including ethics, Brown Act and Public Records Act compliance, unconscious bias, harassment and discrimination awareness and prevention, due process issues, investigation techniques, governance and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).