Brand Activation Legal Committee: June 23, 2022

For June’s meeting, attorneys from Venable LLP will discuss recent FTC developments, NAD decisions, Lanham Act and class action false advertising cases, and updates to state laws. Presenting from Venable LLP will be Attorneys Shahin Rothermel and Mike Munoz.

Shahin Rothermel, Partner, counsels and defends clients on issues involving advertising, marketing, e-commerce, privacy, social media, promotions, sweepstakes, and subscription programs. Shahin regularly represents clients before the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), state attorneys general, district attorneys, the National Advertising Division of the Better Business Bureaus (NAD), the National Advertising Review Board (NARB), and the Electronic Retailing Self-Regulation program (ERSP), in addition to handling complex consumer class actions and competitor disputes in federal and state courts.

Shahin's experience defending clients allows her to provide companies with up-to-date insights into remaining compliant with constantly evolving areas of risk. Her counseling experience includes advising advertisers, retailers, affiliate networks, lead generators, advertising agencies, payment processors, ISOs, and others on compliance with Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act; FTC rules and guidance; advertising substantiation; the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA); the Telemarketing Sales Rule; the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act and state anti-spam laws; the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act (ROSCA) and state automatic renewal laws; state privacy laws; the Electronic Funds Transfer Act; the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; and state unfair and deceptive acts and practices statutes.

Mike Munoz, Associate, brings to his regulatory practice experience with all stages of litigation involving the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), Lanham Act, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforcement actions, and other consumer class actions. Working on advertising and marketing issues vital to brand protection, Mike navigates challenges and anticipates needs to protect his clients and their businesses. During law school, Mike served as a law clerk to Senator John Thune (R-SD) as chairman of the Senate Committee for Commerce, Science, and Transportation, where he focused on issues pertaining to consumer protection, product safety, and data security, as well as oversight of the FTC and Federal Communications Commission (FCC).