Mr. Freed was awarded a BA in Economics, Magna Cum Laude, from Boston University in 1979.  In 1982, he earned a JD from the University of Chicago Law School and joined Feldman, Waldman & Kline, a premier full service San Francisco law firm, where he rose to become a shareholder/partner in the firm.  In his 13 years with the firm, Mr. Freed specialized in franchising, real estate, mergers and acquisitions and commercial and corporate finance.  Mr. Freed’s clients included top developers, lenders, entrepreneurs, franchisors and franchisees throughout the country, ranging from start-up to multi-billion dollar public companies.  Under his leadership, the firm became one of the leading franchise and distribution firms in northern California and the franchise and distribution practice became one of the most active practice areas in the firm.

From 1995 to 2005, Mr. Freed was the chief legal and administrative officer for one of the San Francisco Bay Area’s largest and fastest growing private companies, a multi-unit franchisee restaurant operating company.  Leading a team of in-house and outside attorneys, Mr. Freed structured and managed major acquisition, financing, and development transactions to grow the company in only 8 years from start-up to over 300 locations in 16 states, with $350 million in annualized sales and 7500+ employees.  Mr. Freed designed the company with separate real estate holding company affiliates that owned and financed the real estate underlying approximately 150 of these restaurants.  Mr. Freed played a key role in all strategic planning and policy decisions for all these companies, and was responsible for management and oversight of all legal, acquisition, development, risk management and human resources matters.

Mr. Freed served as acting Chief Executive Officer of the operating company in late 2004 and early 2005, managing and coordinating the restructure of the company and the sale of the franchised restaurants. He also organized and supervised the refinancing of the debt and restructuring of the leases of the real estate holding company affiliates, which continue to own the real estate underlying 133 of the restaurants.  Following the sale of the operating restaurants, from 2005 until 2017, Mr. Freed actively managed all aspects of the business of the real estate holding company affiliates as President of the companies.  Also in 2005, he founded Freed Law Offices, acting as part-time general counsel to a number of clients, and focusing on franchise and distribution law, business mergers and acquisitions, real estate acquisition, leasing, finance and development, corporate and commercial finance, and general corporate, LLC and partnership issues. He works to help clients acquire, finance and grow their businesses, while attempting to minimize liability. He also performs litigation oversight and management, and acts as an arbitrator, mediator and expert witness in franchise and business related disputes.

Mr. Freed has an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating for general ethical standards and legal ability.  He has been an active member of the State Bar of California since 1982. He previously served as Chair of the Franchise Law Committee of the Business Law Section of the State Bar of California, where he was instrumental in initiating changes to California’s franchise investment laws. In addition, he is a member of the American Bar Association Forum Committee on Franchising and has attended almost every Forum on Franchising annual meeting since 1985. He is a former member of the International Franchise Association’s Legal/Legislative Committee and served on the Advisory Board of the Council of Franchise Suppliers. He has been a featured speaker on numerous occasions at both the International Franchise Association Legal Symposium and the American Bar Association Forum on Franchising. Mr. Freed is also the author of the chapter entitled "Third-Party Debt Financing of Franchisors and Franchisees" in the recently released American Bar Association book on "Collateral Agreements in Franchising".

Aside from his professional affiliations, Mr. Freed is also active with numerous non-profit organizations. He is currently serving on the Board of Counselors for the Pacific Symphony in Irvine, California.  He also serves as the Chair of the Architectural Control Committee for the Ocean Heights Maintenance Association in Newport Coast, California.  Mr. Freed is a former member of the Board of Trustees of Temple Bat Yahm in Newport Beach, California, acting as the Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee.  He formerly served on the Advisory Council for the Federation and Family Services in Irvine, California. He is also a former member of the Board of Directors and served on the Finance Committee of RCJL, a San Francisco Bay Area non-profit assisted living and skilled nursing care facility for approximately 180 residents.