Background/Clients

Eric S. Freibrun

J.D. 1983, Washington University School of Law, St. Louis, Missouri; Washington University Law Quarterly Review, 1982-1983; B.S. 1980, University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois.  Tel.: 847-562-0099; E-mail: eric@freibrun.com.  Please call to request a free initial telephone consultation.

 

Approach:  Experience, Expertise and Excellence

Since 1983, Eric Freibrun’s approach to working with his clients – whether Fortune 500 companies or individuals – has been based on listening to and understanding his clients’ business and legal needs, then providing practical, cost-effective legal services to address those needs.  The cornerstones of this approach are open and frequent communication, hands-on personal service, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.  As an independent practitioner, Freibrun is able to provide the highest quality legal services at rates below those charged by larger firms with equivalent (or less) experience.  In addition, Freibrun's 23 years' extensive industry experience and expertise is directly brought to bear on client projects – work is never delegated to inexperienced practitioners.  When project complexity and client needs dictate, Freibrun frequently works in cooperation with his clients’ other attorneys – whether in-house counsel or at other law firms – to address those needs competently and comprehensively. 

The goal of Law Offices of Eric S. Freibrun, Ltd. is to provide the highest quality legal services to help clients achieve their business and legal objectives – while building long-term professional relationships based on mutual respect and trust.  

Scope of Practice

Computer/Information Technology/Internet/E-Commerce Law

Eric Freibrun focuses his legal practice in computer/information technology law, Internet law and intellectual property protection (copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets).  His computer/information technology law practice consists of representing and advising software vendors and other IT, Internet and E-Commerce providers and consultants – and the purchasers/licensees of such technology and services – in a wide variety of contractual and intellectual property matters, including the preparation and negotiation of software license and development agreements, systems acquisition, distribution and OEM agreements; consulting services agreements; confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements; beta test, source code escrow and other agreements, as well as the development of corporate software, Internet and e-mail use policies.

Intellectual Property Protection:  Copyrights, Trademarks, Trade Secrets

Freibrun’s intellectual property law practice consists of representing and advising companies of all types and individuals regarding the protection, acquisition, assignment and licensing of intellectual property.  This includes the protection and registration of copyrights in the U.S. Copyright Office, the selection, protection and registration of trademarks and service marks in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and advice and strategy regarding trade secret protection.

Experience

Freibrun has practiced in the technology and intellectual property law fields since 1985 and has been an attorney since 1983.  Since 1992, he has represented numerous technology vendors and their customers through his own law firms, Marcus Steer & Freibrun and Law Offices of Eric S. Freibrun , Ltd.  He is also Of Counsel to Corplaw Associates, Northfield, Illinois.

Prior to 1992, he was one of the principal in-house intellectual property attorneys for Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) and Arthur Andersen for nearly 7 years in their Chicago headquarters.  His responsibilities included advising on an entire range of intellectual property protection issues applicable to information technology development and the licensing and marketing of computer software and professional services.  He also coordinated the firms’ worldwide trademark registration programs and reviewed and analyzed ad copy and marketing programs for the firms’ information technology and accounting businesses.  In addition, Freibrun negotiated and drafted agreements for a variety of critical commercial transactions – acquisitions, distribution agreements, software/technology development and licensing arrangements, trademark consent agreements, consulting services contracts, employment, confidentiality and publishing agreements.  He also assisted the Andersen Consulting Foundation software organization in cost allocation analysis relating to the development of computer aided systems engineering software.

Freibrun was previously a member of the in-house legal departments of American Hospital Supply Corporation and Baxter Healthcare Corporation through its acquisition of AHSC.  While at American Hospital Supply Corporation, he assisted with legal issues associated with one of the first software programs enabling communication between PCs in physician offices and hospital mainframe computers.  He was also extensively involved in the Department of Justice review of the proposed merger of American Hospital Supply Corporation with Hospital Corporation of America and the merger of AHSC with Baxter Healthcare Corporation.

Freibrun began his legal career with the large Chicago-based law firm of Wildman Harrold Allen & Dixon.  As a Litigation Associate, he specialized in medical malpractice, personal injury and product liability defense, successfully arguing numerous court motions and gaining substantial experience in drafting a variety of court pleadings.

Publications

Freibrun has written extensively on Internet, computer and intellectual property law topics and has over 35 published articles.  He has authored a regular column in Visual Basic Tips & Tricks, has written regularly for Computer Currents magazine on computer and intellectual property law and has contributed to Crain’s Small Business, The Computer Register, Talking to the Boss, Alpha Developer’s Oracle, Newsware - Chicago Area Netware Networkers and Arthur Andersen Counsel to Counsel. 

Education

Freibrun received his J.D. in 1983 from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, where he was a published member of the Washington University Law Quarterly Review and served as a clerk in the Missouri Court of Appeals.  He graduated with a B.S. in 1980 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and spent his final semester at the University of Lund, Lund, Sweden.  Freibrun was admitted to practice before the Illinois Bar in November, 1983, and before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in December, 1983.  Freibrun is currently or has at various times been a member of the Computer Law Association, the American Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association (Computer Law Committee) and the Illinois State Bar Association.

Representative Client List*

The following is a partial list of our past and present clients:

·         Abraxis BioScience, Inc. – www.abraxisbio.com

·         Advanced Equities, Inc. – www.advancedequities.com

·         Alliant Foodservice, Inc. - www.usfoodservice.com

·         Amber Products Company – www.amberproducts.com

·         Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) - www.accenture.com

·         ANGUS Chemical Company - www.dow.com/angus/index.htm

·         Arlex Technologies, Inc. - www.arlex.com

·         Automated Business Designs, Inc. - www.abd.net

·         Baker Dental Corp. - www.bakerdental.com

·         BardoTek Software, Inc. - www.bardotek.com

·         BiznessOnline.com, Inc. - www.cleartel.com

·         Blue Byte Software, Inc. - www.bluebyte.net  

·         CenterPoint Networks, LLC - www.centerpointnetworks.net

·         Chicago Internet, Inc. - www.chicagointernet.com  

·         Chipita International S.A. - www.chipita.com

·         Cleartel Communications, Inc. - www.cleartel.com

·         CobraSource, Inc. - www.cobrasource.com  

·         ConservAmerica - www.conservamerica.com

·         Cream Line S.A. – www.creamline.com

·         Crestview Capital Funds, LLC - www.crestviewcap.com 

·         Crown Corr, Inc. - www.crowncorr.com

·         Darden Restaurants, Inc. – www.darden.com

·         Database Business Solutions Corp. - www.dbsc.com

·         Database Designs, Inc.

·         Decision Systems, Inc. - www.decisionsystems.com

·         DSC Logistics, Inc. - www.dsclogistics.com

·         Elgin State Bank - www.elginstatebank.com

·         EtQ Management Consultants, Inc. - www.etq.com

·         ExamsOnline.com, Inc. - www.examsonline.com

·         Financial Modeling Solutions, Inc.

·         First Allied Securities, Inc. – www.firstallied.com

·         FlexSource, LLC

·         Franklin Capital Corp. - www.franklincapitalnetwork.com

·         Freerain Systems, Inc. - www.freerainsystems.com

·         Gamewinners.com - www.gamewinners.com

·         Goldmarks Co. - www.goldmarks.net

·         Harmonic Vision, Inc. - www.harmonicvision.com  

·         Healthprolink, Inc. - www.healthprolink.com

·         R. Lee Heath - www.rleeheath.com

·         InfoWorks International, Inc.

·         InfraStrategy, LLC - www.infra-strategy.com

·         InnovaSafe, Inc. - www.innovasafe.com

·         InstallShield Software Corp. - www.installshield.com

·         Integrated Network Technologies, Inc. - www.intinc.com

·         Insight Marketing Associates, Inc.

·         InXpo, LLC - www.inxpo.com

·         JeanWorks, LLC

·         Kaehler Travelworks, LLC - www.worldtraveler.com

·         KemperSports Management – www.kempersports.com

·         Lake Effect Software, LLC - www.lakeeffectsoftware.com

·         Lending Solutions, Inc. - www.nlpc.com  

·         Lewis Paper International, Inc. - www.lewispaper.com

·         LR Development Co. - www.lrrealty.com

·         Marketplace Media Group, Inc. - www.marketplacemediagroup.com

·         Math Corporation - www.mathcorp.com

·         Microhard Technical Institute, Inc. - www.microhard.com

·         Midwest Computer, Inc.

·         Mindwise, Inc. - www.brianbrawdy.com

·         Modelmasters, Inc. - www.modelmasters.com

·         Neal & McDevitt, Attorneys at Law - www.nealmcdevitt.com

·         Niku Corporation - www.niku.com

·         Oudensha America, Inc. - www.oudensha.com

·         Patient Results Network, LLC - www.patientresultsnetwork.com 

·         PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - www.pbs.org

·         PCSynergy, Inc. - www.pcsynergy.com

·         Pharmacy OneSource, Inc. - www.pharmacyonesource.com 

·         PowerUser, Inc. - www.poweruser.com

·         Reinhold Environmental, Ltd. - www.reinholdenvironmental.com

·         REP America - www.repamerica.org

·         R. Lee Heath - www.rleeheath.com 

·         Ricko Ricko Ltd. - www.rickoricko.com 

·         Roszak/ADC - www.roszakadc.com  

·         Sharprint Silkscreen & Graphics, Inc. - www.sharprint.com

·         SBI Group, Inc. - www.sbigroup.com

·         Seeler Industries, Inc. - www.seeler.com

·         SemCo Enterprises, Inc. - www.esemco.com  

·         Shefsky & Froelich, Attorneys at Law - www.shefskylaw.com

·         True Value Company – www.truevalue.com

·         Soigné Culinary Artistry – www.soigne-chicago.com

·         TunaRez, LLC - www.tunarez.com

·         US Cellular Corp. - www.uscc.com

·         US Foodservice - www.usfoodservice.com

·         Vivartia S.A. – www.vivartia.com

·         Webogy, LLC - www.webogy.com

·         Westinghouse - www.westinghouse.com

·         Whittman-Hart

·         WHIZDOM - www.whizdom.com

·         Woodmark Technologies, Inc. - www.woodmark.com   

* The tradenames, trademarks and services marks contained in the foregoing list are properties of their respective owners.  This list is for informational purposes only.  No endorsement is intended or implied.