Richard Frey serves as the Chair of Venable's West Coast Labor and Employment Practice Group. He is a seasoned litigator, focusing his practice on general and complex commercial litigation and business matters, as well as unique labor and employment challenges faced by corporations and individuals. He also has significant experience in trade secret and unfair competition litigation, including litigation involving non-compete agreements.

He has litigated cases in both state and federal courts and has particular skill in defending commercial class actions against alleged violations of the California Business and Professions Code § 17200, as well as wage and hour and shareholder derivative class actions.

In addition to his significant litigation experience, Mr. Frey provides transactional advice on corporate matters including employee-related concerns associated with mergers and acquisitions and executive employment agreements.  He also has substantial experience representing clients in a variety of business matters including those involving distribution deals, partnership agreements and other contract negotiations.

Representative Clients

Significant Matters

• Obtained dismissal of nationwide class action against a national insurance carrier in federal court on behalf of non-MD providers alleging that defendants had a uniform practice of under-reimbursing out-of-network providers.
• Secured attorneys' fee award in the amount of half a million dollars against plaintiff and his attorney after winning summary judgment in ERISA matter.
• Secured attorneys' fee award in the amount of $185,000 in a state action on behalf of a national insurance brokerage group arising out of threatened trade secret and breach of contract claim by another broker.
• Represented a noted sports agent in connection with trade secret and unfair competition issues arising from the departure of another agent. 
• Prevailed on SLAPP motions in two negligent referral cases in which he represented a major communications company.
• Successfully defended through appeal a Fortune 1000 company in an unfair competition claim arising from the California energy crisis.
• Defended high-profile employers, including a leading Los Angeles hospital, in federal and state class actions and all types of employment litigation, collective bargaining, union avoidance, and labor arbitration.
• Successfully represented several executives from large public companies in shareholder derivative actions, SEC matters and other governmental investigations.