Sheila leads our firm’s consumer protection regulatory practices and brings deep experience to a range of public policy and regulatory matters, including advertising and promotions, connected products, privacy and cybersecurity, and product safety. She counsels international and domestic businesses on compliance questions and processes, represents them in regulatory enforcement matters, and advocates on their behalf before federal and state legislative and regulatory bodies.

Sheila represents clients in enforcement investigations by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and state attorneys general, and in advertising proceedings at the National Advertising Division (NAD). She helps clients conduct advertising, privacy, security, and product safety compliance audits, manage data breaches, and develop or refine regulatory compliance procedures. Sheila also provides crisis management legal support to domestic and international businesses and serves as external counsel to several trade associations.

Sheila is a frequent speaker on domestic and international regulatory compliance and public policy issues. Her commentaries and analyses appear frequently in the legal press.

Representative Matters

• Assisted a major national children’s product company in responding to federal and state investigations of privacy and security features of a child-directed connected product, resolving the matter with no formal enforcement action
• Successfully negotiated resolution of an FTC investigation in response to a petition alleging violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and Section 5 of the FTC Act with no consent agreement
• Represented a major national trade association in connection with proposed revisions to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
• Submitted comments on behalf of a major national trade association on proposed regulations implementing the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
• Negotiated resolution of CPSC enforcement initiatives targeting multiple producers of e-liquids
• Advised international company on global product safety compliance, and packaging, labeling and warning requirements, for its line of collectibles
• Negotiated successful conclusion of an FTC enforcement action involving influencer marketing on behalf of an online company with no formal action
• Represented a leading national consumer product company in a competitor challenge before the NAD and National Advertising Review Board, obtaining a closing letter after referral to the FTC
• Helps connected product producers successfully navigate privacy, data security, product safety, and potential medical device claims in bringing products to market.
• Serves as counsel to national trade association, and advises Board of Directors, members, and staff on antitrust compliance matters
• Represents clients before the CPSC, including submitting § 15(b) notices, evaluating and responding to public database complaints, and representing clients in enforcement actions Assists clients in managing vendor and supplier certifications and testing frameworks

Memberships

• A Vice-Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Marketing and Advertising Commission and Chair, ICC Working Group on Sustainability
• Steering Committee, National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) CPSC Coalition 
• International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO)

Awards

• The Best Lawyers in America^®: Advertising Law, 2010-2023
• AV® Preeminent™ Rated by Martindale-Hubbell, 2010-2021
• National Law Review “Go to” Thought Leader for 2019 and 2020
• Advertising Law "Lawyer of the Year" 2014 in Washington, DC by Best Lawyers^®
• Advertising and Marketing Lawyer of the Year USA by Finance Monthly for their Finance Monthly Global Awards 2017