Douglas N. Freifeld

Drawing on four decades of experience as an attorney, Douglas 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, Doug provides outstanding value 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, Doug 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, Doug excels in high-level conflict resolution.

With a congenial and practical approach, Doug knows how to bring people together. He’s gratified to work with his team to find common ground, compromise astutely, and resolve matters satisfactorily. His in-depth understanding of negotiation techniques, including interest-based bargaining (IBB), as well as his ability to explore and achieve creative solutions, enable him to assist clients in crafting resolutions to seemingly intractable problems.

As F3’s Ethics Counsel, Doug ensures the firm’s attorneys stay 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 F3 colleagues remain focused on client-centered priorities. Additionally, Doug shares his broad and deep knowledge as a frequent trainer in numerous subjects including ethics, Brown Act and Public Records Act compliance, unconscious bias, harassment and discrimination awareness and prevention, due process issues, investigation techniques, and a recent focus of interest: artificial intelligence in the workplace.