Brian Heidelberger

Over the past 31 years, Brian Heidelberger has represented a multitude of the nation’s most revered brands, agencies, sports and entertainment companies, as well as professional and Olympic athletes, influencers and creators. Recognized as Chicago “Lawyer of the Year” in Advertising Law by Best Lawyers, a Band 1 lawyer by Chambers USA and placed into the Advertising and Marketing Transactional and Regulatory “Hall of Fame” by Legal500, Brian is sought after by clients for his cutting-edge legal and industry knowledge, responsiveness, proactivity and creativity.

Brian is one of the best advertising attorneys in the marketplace. He is very balanced in his approach and gives solid, reasonable advice. Chambers USA

Brian’s diverse skill set includes counseling, transactional work and dispute resolution in the following areas:

• Advertising: Advising on ad clearance, substantiating claims, navigating talent/music/sponsorship rights, structuring agency/client relationships, and ensuring compliance with SAG-AFTRA, industry-specific rules, and children’s advertising laws
• Promotions: Structuring sweepstakes, contests, rebates, and loyalty programs; advising on disclosures, platform rules, and state/federal compliance for retail, digital, and event-based campaigns
• Privacy: Helping clients comply with U.S. and global privacy laws (e.g., CPRA, GDPR); drafting policies; managing tracking and consent; advising on email/SMS marketing, data use in AI and personalization, children and teen/ privacy laws, and regulatory response
• Social Media & E-Commerce: Navigating influencer deals, user-generated content, brand safety, shoppable content, takedowns, platform terms, and compliance for e-commerce and domain ownership
• Artificial Intelligence: Guiding on AI use in advertising and content creation; managing copyright/IP risks with generative tools; handling disclosure and fairness issues; vetting AI vendors; and addressing evolving FTC and global regulations
• Media, Digital Marketing & Technology: Negotiating media buying and ad tech deals; advising on programmatic, data-sharing, and measurement tools; structuring agreements for platforms, SaaS, and clean room environments
• Litigation & Dispute Resolution: Defending or pursuing claims over false advertising, unfair competition, IP infringement, or SAG-AFTRA/NAD/FTC matters; handling crises and investigations, and resolving disputes quickly and strategically
• Intellectual Property: Securing and enforcing trademarks, copyrights, and publicity rights; advising on IP use in campaigns and content; managing licensing, brand portfolios, and domain disputes
• Entertainment, Sports & Gaming: Structuring deals across film, television, podcasts, live events, esports, and digital platforms; advising on content rights, distribution, and creator/brand collaborations
• Athletes, Creators, Influencers & Talent: Strategic counsel on brand development, NIL and image rights, content production, licensing and IP ownership, platform monetization, endorsement and sponsorship deals, talent agreements, trust and estate planning, business formation, nonprofit structuring, AI likeness protection, and online reputation and domain defense

Brian is a frequent speaker and writer, and the creator of the popular Mini Law Lessons videos and podcast series, which covers many of the legal and industry issues highlighted above. 

In addition to his diverse practice, Brian serves as chair of Loeb’s Chicago Pro Bono Committee. Outside of his practice, he was a founding member of Allies of Innocence, a nonprofit that provides free trauma and grief counseling to children and families affected by gun violence in Chicago, and was a board member of KABOOM!, a nonprofit dedicated to building play spaces in places where access has been historically denied.