President Obama Announces Nominee for Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission

by Gregory E. Heltzer

On July 19, 2011, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Maureen K. Ohlhausen to serve as a Commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission.  Ms. Ohlhausen would replace Commissioner Kovacic, whose term expires September 25, 2011.  Ms. Ohlhausen has previously served at the Federal Trade Commission in a number of leadership roles (from 1997 to 2008), including as Director of the Office of Policy Planning and, earlier, as an attorney advisor for Commissioner Orson Swindle.  Earlier in her career, Ms. Ohlhausen worked at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit as a law clerk for Judge David Sentelle and clerked for Judge Robert Yock of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.  Presently, she is an attorney at Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP, where she is a partner in the firm’s privacy, data protection and cybersecurity practice.  She is also a senior editor of the American Bar Association Antitrust Law Journal and has taught privacy law and unfair trade practices as an adjunct professor at George Mason University School of Law.  Ms. Ohlhausen received a B.A. from the University of Virginia and a J.D. from George Mason University School of Law.