Lauren C. Freeman

LAUREN FREEMAN helps clients navigate complex regulatory environments, representing clients in government investigations and regulatory enforcement actions. Lauren regularly defends companies in Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state attorney general consumer protection investigations and litigation, including matters under the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA). She has also represented clients before agencies including the Department of Justice, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the Food and Drug Administration.

Lauren handles consumer protection enforcement matters from start to finish, from responding to FTC and state attorney general civil investigative demands and negotiating with agency staff through litigation. She also handles parallel FTC and multistate attorney general matters and advises on coordinated global consumer protection strategies.

In addition to her work on regulatory enforcement matters, Lauren has extensive experience conducting internal investigations and regularly counsels clients on regulatory and litigation issues. Her clients range across multiple industries with an emphasis on the technology, consumer products, energy, and healthcare sectors. Lauren has particular knowledge counseling clients on complex consumer protection issues, including negative option, auto-renewal, and subscription practices (including enrollment disclosures and cancellation issues) under ROSCA, dark patterns, junk fees, consumer reviews and endorsements, marketing and advertising claims, unfair and deceptive acts and practices under Section 5 of the FTC Act and state law, AI-generated reviews and bots, and consumer credit reporting. 

Combining her environmental, energy, and consumer protection experience, Lauren is also a part of Sidley’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and Automotive and Mobility working groups.

Prior to joining Sidley, Lauren served on the Legislative Affairs staff at the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Lauren earned her law degree, cum laude, at Georgetown University Law Center. She received her B.A. in political science from Washington University in St. Louis.

Consumer Protection: FTC and State Attorney General Matters

• Represent a global technology company in litigation brought by the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general alleging violations of ROSCA and state consumer protection laws in connection with subscription enrollment, auto-renewal, and cancellation practices, and in related state attorney general investigations.
• Represented a large public technology company in an investigation and enforcement action by the Federal Trade Commission, focused on whether the company failed to adequately disclose material terms of negative option features or failed to provide a simple mechanism for consumers to cancel in violation of the FTC Act or ROSCA.
• Represented a global entertainment technology company in a confidential Federal Trade Commission investigation concerning compliance with ROSCA and the FTC Act.
• Represented a large public consumer products company in internal investigations, regulatory counseling, and investigation by the Federal Trade Commission focused on whether the company engaged in deceptive or unfair acts or practices in connection with the advertising, marketing, promotion, sale, or distribution of the company’s products.
• Represent a national retailer in a Federal Trade Commission investigation concerning consumer credit reporting practices under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
• Represented a large entertainment technology company in a State AG enforcement action related to subscription practices. 
• Represented a large public consumer products company in State AG enforcement actions related to data privacy, age verification, and subscription practices. 

Internal Investigations and Other Regulatory Matters

• Represented a special committee of the board of a benefit management services company in an investigation of the company’s financial statements.
• Represented a global energy company in regulatory and related litigation matters involving the United States Department of State, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Interior, and other federal and state agencies.
• Represented a global energy commodities trader in regulatory matters before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, related to its electricity and natural gas marketing activities.