Douglas Emhoff is Partner-in-Charge of Venable’s Los Angeles office and serves as the firm’s Managing Director for Expansion.  He is also a member of Venable’s Management Committee and the Venable Board.  Mr. Emhoff focuses his practice primarily on defending class action matters concerning claims of unfair business practices, the validity of advertising and marketing claims, cases challenging privacy statues and wage and hour violations.  He also has significant complex commercial litigation experience, in particular media, advertising and entertainment litigation matters.

Mr. Emhoff represents clients across a wide variety of industries including media; advertising; entertainment; technology; consumer products and services; hospitality; real estate; and financial services. 

In addition to trying cases in both state and federal courts, he has particular skill in alternative dispute resolution (negotiation, mediation, arbitration) across varied forums.  His clients have come to rely on his insightful, avoidance strategy counsel as a preventive measure and appreciate the value of his extensive courtroom experience when litigation is unavoidable.

Representative Clients

Over the past 20 years, Mr. Emhoff's representative clients include such diverse companies as Guthy-Renker; NBC Universal; CNN/Turner; Securitas; TBWA/Chiat-Day; H.S.I. Productions; Fleischer Studios; SBE Entertainment; Lionsgate; Hyatt; Brady Corp.; AEG; Kao Brands; and Money Management International among many others.

Significant Matters

• Defended a global retailer in a group of California class actions alleging Song-Beverly Credit Card violations concerning collection of personal identification information.
• Defended leading media conglomerate in putative class action challenging mobile ad serving technology under a variety of state and federal privacy statutes in one of the first cases to challenge tracking of mobile Internet usage. 
• Defended an office product manufacturer in a California class action involving invasion of privacy claims and challenges to privacy statutes due to the Defendant's alleged practice of monitoring and recording telephone communications between Defendant's sales force and Plaintiff and Plaintiff's Class. 
• Defended a national sports nutrition company against alleged violations of the Consumer Legal Remedies Act (Cal. Civ. Code § 1750), Unfair Competition Act (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200), and False and Misleading Advertising (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17500) concerning certain products the Defendant manufactured and  marketed as dietary supplements for use as bodybuilding and weight loss supplements. 
• Representing a famous animated character in a copyright and trademark dispute.
• Defending a conference promotion organization against claims for breach of contract, unfair competition (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 17200, et seq.), statutory false advertising (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 17500, et seq.), common law unfair competition, trade libel, common law trademark infringement and declaratory relief. 
• Represented a global manufacturer of workplace products against one of the company’s competitors regarding allegations of trademark infringement, false advertising, bait-and-switch and violations of the Lanham Act regarding the competitor’s practice of utilizing advertising techniques that led consumers to believe they were purchasing the Plaintiff’s products.
• Representing a leading advertising agency in a securities derivative suit filed in the U.S. District Court in the Central District of California.
• Secured a favorable settlement for a direct marketing advertiser in a Song-Beverly class action alleging improper capture of personal information during credit card transactions at retail locations.
• Defended a mobile content provider in a consumer class action alleging improper business practices.
• Represented a credit counseling company in a California consumer class action regarding whether the company is a valid non-profit, and thus subject to the requirements of the CROA statute.
• Represented the manufacturer of a national brand lotion in a California consumer class action alleging false advertising among other claims.
• Represented a major security firm in a federal class action complaint alleging the company failed to protect its employees' personal, confidential information from theft.
• Represented over 40 commercial producers in an entertainment industry-wide wage & hour class-action lawsuit.
• Represented the liquidating trustee of a bankrupt computer manufacturer against an international investment bank in a fraudulent claim regarding supplemental agreements.
• The Ninth Circuit affirmed a defense summary judgment Mr. Emhoff’s team obtained for an advertising agency in the high-profile Taco Bell Chihuahua case.

Activities

Mr. Emhoff is a member of the Motion Picture and Television Fund's Professional Advisory Council.  He also serves as a member of the Association of Commercial Producers West Board of Directors, as well as a member of Law360's Media & Entertainment 2012 Editorial Advisory Board.

Mr. Emhoff is the Past-Chair of the Beverly Hills County Bar Association's Managing Partner Section.  He has acted as a volunteer Temporary Judge and mediator for the Los Angeles County Superior Court.  Mr. Emhoff actively participates in several charitable organizations promoting education for disadvantaged children and advocating free legal aid for low-income individuals.