Attorney Arnie Friede To Teach About Food and Drug Law

Beginning on Jan. 23rd, students at Miami Law will have the chance to learn about food and drug law and relevant topics from Arnie Friede, an expert in such matters who will be the first of several people to teach a short course this semester.

By UM News 01-22-2013

Friede has a long history of representing clients in FDA-regulated matters, beginning as an Associate Chief Counsel in the FDA, as well as a broad spectrum of in-house legal experience across multiple industries. He has served as an expert witness on FDA issues, and recently testified at trial in a major fraud and abuse case in Texas.

To get an idea of how Friede thinks, we posed a few questions to him:

Why did you come to teach at Miami Law?

"I am spending several months this winter in South Florida and I was excited about an opportunity to teach food and drug law. UM had the best reputation among the law schools in the area and, accordingly, I pursued an adjunct position there."

What are you most looking forward to about teaching here?

"Engagement with bright, eager minds so that I can share my passion for food and drug law with them."

What can a Miami Law student hope to get out of your class?

"An introduction to basic concepts in food and drug law and a desire to learn more."

What was the most interesting case you ever worked on?

"Hmmm... That's a tough one. Probably the Phenformin Imminent Hazard Withdrawal, where I represented FDA's then-Bureau of Drugs in the first ever and only instance in which FDA has ever invoked its authority to withdraw a drug from the market summarily as an "imminent hazard to the public health" subject to an expedited post-withdrawal administrative hearing and subsequent judicial review."

What do you consider your greatest contribution to the field?

"I suppose the contribution to the field that I am most known for has to with a development of a framework for analyzing FDA's regulation of various categories of manufacturer speech about FDA-approved prescription drugs against First Amendment standards. Whether this or any other contribution to the field amounts individually or collectively to a 'great contribution', I leave for others to decide."

What kind of jobs are there for aspiring young attorneys in your field?

"There's an amazing array of opportunities for young lawyers in this field, including work in Government (e.g. at FDA), at the growing number of private law firms practicing in this area, in public interest organization across the philosophical spectrum that advocate for their particular points of view, as well as work in related academic, public policy, and government-relations positions. This is such an exciting field that is constantly evolving. Anyone with a passion for continuous learning in this exciting area should consider the field."

What do you consider the burning issues in your field for the next five years and beyond?

"Virtually every issue of any public health importance will be addressed by FDA in one way or another over the next five years. Genomics. Personalized and Regenerative Medicine. Food Safety and on and on. Anyone with a desire to be at the intersection of law, medicine, and public policy will find great opportunities in this field over the coming years."

Where is the coolest place you've been to?

"Israel, Prague."

Please give us one fun fact about yourself.

"I am dreadful at golf yet enjoy embarrassing myself on the golf course."

Arnie Friede is the principal in Arnold I. Friede & Associates, which specializes in FDA-related legal and regulatory matters. In addition to his specialization in food and drug law, Friede counsels on advertising law, health care law, the First Amendment, and environmental, and commercial and transactional matters. He served as a law clerk in Federal District Court in Los Angeles, and with the Federal Judicial Panel on Multi-district Litigation in Washington. He was also counsel with Richardson-Vicks in Wilton, Conn., and with Unilever in New Jersey. He was senior corporate counsel with Pfizer in New York.

Friede received a B.S. degree in Mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh and his J.D. from the George Washington University School of Law. He is a past Chairman of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law Section of the New York State Bar Association.