Gary Freed

Overview

Gary Freed has practiced law for 45 years, primarily representing clients in complex business disputes and providing strategic advice. As a Partner in the Atlanta Office of O’Hagan Meyer, Gary helps companies and individuals in “business divorces,” and in restrictive covenant, commercial, health care, employment and real estate matters. Previously, Gary founded and managed a successful business law firm in Atlanta.

Gary guides his clients proactively and creatively. He helps prosecute, or protect, their interests efficiently. Colleagues say he thinks outside the box, but his mantra, “What Box?”, reflects his analytical thinking and approach to solving problems in professional ways targeted to bringing equitable closure to disputes. He is an experienced litigator and appears in courtrooms, arbitrations, and mediations around the country. Gary has been recognized for his accomplishments in numerous publications including Best Lawyers in America, Georgia Trend’s “Legal Elite,” and Georgia Super Lawyers. He has also developed a niche practice representing Chinese and Chinese American businesses in various business disputes.

Experience

• Represented a multi-state medical practice in a restrictive covenant case against a departing doctor and won a several-days-long arbitration, including an award of injunctive relief and attorneys’ fees.
• Prevailed in mandamus case against a trial judge before the West Virgina Supreme Court and set aside a multimillion-dollar sanction award against a credit card company.
• Obtained a Georgia Supreme Court decision affirming a Court of Appeals opinion which reversed a trial court, which had ordered a lawsuit by a physician against a medical practice, to go to arbitration.
• Represented the estates of a professional football player and his wife against an airline and service company and obtained a multimillion-dollar settlement after setting aside an inferior settlement that had been reached without full client consent by a former attorney.
• Received and collected a several hundred-thousand-dollar fee award in a lawsuit against an entertainment club which had alleged a false narrative against a client after obtaining summary judgment on all issues.
• Represented a prominent rap artist in the reorganization of her business in bankruptcy court, allowing the resolution of a lawsuit and the successful continuation of the singer’s career.
• Prevailed in a jury trial by an engineer against a rapid transit agency in an ethnic discrimination case.
• Won summary judgment and attorneys’ fees representing large landowner in a lawsuit filed by a city to seek eminent domain over a historic private driveway.
• Obtained multimillion-dollar settlement for a business owner against the landlord and co-tenant resulting from a fire on the premises found to lack operational sprinklers or proper containment of hazardous materials.
• Obtained a multimillion-dollar verdict for an estate against a husband for the wife’s wrongful death.

Honors, Publications, & Speeches

Honors

Gary has been recognized consistently in legal publications as a top tier attorney. He won a contested election with the District Attorney of DeKalb County, GA to the State Bar of Georgia Board of Governors and participated in the Access to Justice and Professionalism Committees. He has actively served the DeKalb Bar Association in a variety of roles: President, Treasurer, Board, CLE Chair, Law Day Chair, Judicial Liaison Chair, founder Annual Bench & Bar Dinner. He also is a graduate of Leadership DeKalb and a member of the Lawyers Foundation of Georgia – Fellow, Atlanta Bar Association Foundation – Fellow, Cooper/Emory Inn of Court - Master. He served on the Drew University Alumni Board and the Emory University Giving Board where he also served as a reunion co-chair for both schools.

Publications

• What It Takes to Be an Ethical Lawyer Today, ABA Law Practice Today, November 9, 2022
• Gary S. Freed on 5 Things you need to Create or Lead a Successful Law Firm, Medium, June 19, 2022

Presentations & Speeches

• Moderator and presenter at Restrictive Covenants in Georgia seminar for over 20 years.
• Presenter at Georgia Landlord Tenant Law seminars.
• Presenter at Taking Effective Depositions seminars.

News

Civic

• Member, National Association of Chinese Americans

Professional

• Member, Atlanta Bar Association
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, DeKalb Bar Association
• Member, Lawyers Club of Atlanta
• Member, Old War Horse Club
• Member, Federal Bar Association
• Member, Georgia Defense Lawyers Association
• Member, Georgia Asian Pacific Bar Association
• Member, Cooper/Emory Inn of Court

Community

Gary won a contested election with the District Attorney of DeKalb County, GA to the State Bar of Georgia Board of Governors and participated in the Access to Justice and Professionalism Committees.

Gary served on the American Jewish Committee Board—Atlanta Chapter, Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, and has been chair or co-chair of several political and judicial campaigns. Gary has been a member of The Temple for 44 years and has served on various committees. With his busy schedule, Gary still found time to coach his four children in soccer and baseball for several years and played competitive softball.