Randal M. Shaheen
Randal Shaheen is a partner in Venable’s regulatory and advertising and marketing practice groups. He represents clients before numerous regulatory agencies including the Federal Trade Commission, state attorneys general, and the National Advertising Division.
Mr. Shaheen has significant experience handling multijurisdictional matters and advising clients in all areas of advertising and marketing. He has worked on numerous matters related to "green" claims, dietary supplements, "Made in USA," privacy and data security, marketing to children, health and performance claims, weight loss, claims interpretation, comparative claims, and the use of surveys.
Mr. Shaheen is a graduate of Harvard Law School where he was the Notes Chair for the Harvard Law Review. He served as Co-Editorial Chair for the 2011 Review of Consumer Protection Law Developments and is the co-editor of a blog about issues critical to advertising and consumer law entitled allaboutadvertisinglaw.com which can be accessed at www.allaboutadvertisinglaw.com.
Significant Matters
- Represented Imbee.com with respect to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation of alleged Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) violations
- Represented Budget Rent A Car System, Inc. in connection with an FTC investigation related to fuel charges
- Represented Dannon in connection with an FTC/state attorney general action
- Represented VeriSign with respect to alleged misleading marketing practices. The matter was resolved by persuading the FTC to accept class action settlement in lieu of consumer redress
- Represented Philip Morris USA with respect to marketing initiatives
- Helped implement environmental advertising compliance guides for two Fortune 100 companies
- Represented poultry manufacturers in connection with Lanham Act case against Tyson Foods
- Provided general advertising advice to clients such as Method Products, Sanderson Farms, PepsiCo., and Major League Baseball
- Represented Clifton Telecard Alliance in FTC and class action litigation relating to prepaid calling cards
- Successfully represented several large companies with respect to the FTC's Do Not Call Regulations
- Represented one of the largest dietary supplement manufacturers in an FTC investigation
Activities
On a pro bono basis, Mr. Shaheen successfully represented the highest ranking U.S. female fighter pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Martha McSally, in an effort to overturn a Department of Defense requirement that female military personnel in Saudi Arabia wear an abaya (a loose robe traditionally worn by Muslim women). Mr. Shaheen also represented a 12-year old girl who was arrested for eating a French fry in the Washington, DC Metro system.