Edith Ramirez

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Edith Ramirez

| image = Edith Ramirez official photo (cropped2).jpg

| office = Chair of the Federal Trade Commission

| president = Barack Obama
Donald Trump

| term_start = March 4, 2013

| term_end = January 25, 2017

| predecessor = Jon Leibowitz

| successor = Maureen Ohlhausen

| office1 = Member of the Federal Trade Commission

| president1 = Barack Obama
Donald Trump

| term_start1 = April 5, 2010

| term_end1 = February 10, 2017

| predecessor1 = Jon Leibowitz

| successor1 = Rebecca Slaughter

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1968|5|28}}

| birth_place = San Clemente, California, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Democratic

| education = Harvard University (BA, JD)

}}

Edith Ramirez (born May 28, 1968) is an American attorney who served as a member of the Federal Trade Commission from 2010 to 2017. Ramirez served as FTC Chair from 2013 to 2017, the first person from an ethnic minority to lead the agency.{{Cite news|last=Wyatt|first=Edward|date=2013-02-28|title=White House Elevates a Commissioner to Chairwoman of the F.T.C.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/01/business/obama-set-to-appoint-edith-ramirez-to-fill-top-ftc-post.html|access-date=2021-09-11|issn=0362-4331}}

Early life and education

The second of four children born to Mexican immigrants from Mexico City, Ramirez was born May 28, 1968, in South Laguna, a neighborhood of Laguna Beach, California.{{Cite web|date=December 15, 2009|title=S. HRG. 111–519|url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-111shrg56414/pdf/CHRG-111shrg56414.pdf|url-status=live|website=GovInfo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190721045031/https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-111shrg56414/pdf/CHRG-111shrg56414.pdf |archive-date=2019-07-21 }} Ramirez was raised in San Clemente, California, and attended San Clemente High School, graduating in 1985 as the class valedictorian.{{Cite web|title=AllGov - Officials|url=http://www.allgov.com/officials/ramirez-edith?officialid=30104|access-date=2021-09-13|website=www.allgov.com}} Growing up, Ramirez's family spoke Spanish at home, and she has stated her background as a child of immigrants has given her "a broader perspective" in her professional life.{{Cite web|title=FTC Chair Edith Ramirez Sounds Off On Big Law|url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-practice/ftc-chair-edith-ramirez-sounds-off-on-big-law|access-date=2021-09-11|website=news.bloomberglaw.com|language=en}}

In 1989, she graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, where she received a bachelor's degree in history. Ramirez received her legal education from Harvard Law School, where she served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review. She befriended future President Barack Obama, who would later appoint her to the Federal Trade Commission.{{Cite web|title=HSF: HSF Stories Detail|url=https://www.hsf.net/web/guest|access-date=2021-09-11|website=www.hsf.net|language=en-US|archive-date=2020-07-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718060426/https://www.hsf.net/web/guest|url-status=dead}}

Legal career

After graduating from Harvard Law School cum laude in 1992, Ramirez clerked for Alfred T. Goodwin in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1992 to 1993.{{cite press release|author=|title=Edith Ramirez Sworn In as Federal Trade Commissioner|url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2010/04/edith-ramirez-sworn-federal-trade-commissioner|location=Washington, DC|publisher=Federal Trade Commission|date=2010-04-05|access-date=2017-03-09}} From 1993 to 1996, Ramirez was an associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP in Los Angeles.

Ramirez later became a partner at the Los Angeles office of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP, where she represented clients in intellectual property, antitrust, unfair competition, and Lanham Act (trademark) matters.{{cite press release|author=|title=Edith Ramirez to Lead the Federal Trade Commission|url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2013/02/edith-ramirez-lead-federal-trade-commission|location=Washington, DC|publisher=Federal Trade Commission|date=2013-02-28|access-date=2017-03-09}} Clients of Ramirez included entertainment corporation The Walt Disney Company and weapons manufacturer Northrop Grumman.{{Cite web|date=April 20, 2010|title=Edith Ramirez '92 sworn in as FTC commissioner|url=https://today.law.harvard.edu/edith-ramirez-92-sworn-in-as-ftc-commissioner/|access-date=2021-09-11|website=Harvard Law Today|language=en-US}}

In 2008, Ramirez joined Obama's presidential campaign as director of hispanic outreach in California.{{Cite news|date=2013-02-28|title=FTC Commissioner Edith Ramirez Named by Obama as Chairman|language=en|work=Bloomberg.com|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-02-28/ftc-commissioner-edith-ramirez-named-by-obama-as-chairman|access-date=2021-09-11}} Ramirez previously served on the Board of Commissioners for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the nation's largest municipal utility.{{Cite web|date=2013-06-07|title=Edith Ramirez|url=https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/biographies/edith-ramirez|access-date=2021-09-11|website=Federal Trade Commission|language=en}}

Federal Trade Commission

In 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Ramirez to replace Deborah Platt Majoras on as a member of the Federal Trade Commission.{{Cite web|title=Julie Brill and Edith Ramirez Nominated to Open FTC Commissioner Posts {{!}} Perspectives {{!}} Reed Smith LLP|url=https://www.reedsmith.com:443/en/perspectives/2009/11/julie-brill-and-edith-ramirez-nominated-to-open-ft|access-date=2021-09-12|website=www.reedsmith.com|language=en}} Ramirez was officially sworn into the body on April 5, 2010, and in 2013 was chosen to replace Jon Leibowitz as FTC Chair. Some commentators were surprised by the selection of Ramirez as FTC Chair, with many observers expecting fellow Commissioner Julie Brill to be selected instead.{{Cite web|last1=Byers|first1=Alex|last2=Romm|first2=Tony|title=W.H. picks Ramirez to lead FTC|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/edith-ramirez-to-lead-ftc-088225|access-date=2021-09-11|website=POLITICO|date=28 February 2013 |language=en}}

Ramirez's term was set to expire on September 25, 2015. However, Ramirez remained in the position for almost two additional years as she awaited the appointment of a successor, leaving the body on February 10, 2017.{{cite press release|author=Staff|title=FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez Announces Resignation|url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2017/01/ftc-chairwoman-edith-ramirez-announces-resignation|location=Washington, DC|publisher=Federal Trade Commission|date=2017-01-13|access-date=2017-03-09}} While on the FTC, Ramirez called to broaden the definition of "Personally Identifiable Information" in response to the growing complexity of data ecosystems and connected devices.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fedscoop.com/edith-ramirez-ftc-aspen-institute-august-2016/|title = FTC's Ramirez: New tech's complexity leaves privacy basics unchanged|date = 23 August 2016}} According to a Politico report released in 2021, Ramirez joined with two Republican Commissioners in opposition to filing charges against Google following the FTC's antitrust probe of the company.{{Cite web|last=Nylen|first=Leah|title=How Washington fumbled the future|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/16/google-files-ftc-antitrust-investigation-475573|access-date=2021-09-12|website=POLITICO|date=16 March 2021 |language=en}}

Career post-FTC

Following her tenure at the FTC, she joined the law firm of Hogan Lovells as a partner in their Washington, D.C., office. In this capacity, she co-heads the firm’s Antitrust, Competition and Economic Regulation (ACER) practice, and also works within the firm's Privacy and Cybersecurity practice.{{Cite web|date=September 6, 2017|title=Former FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez Joins Hogan Lovells|url=https://www.hoganlovells.com/en/news/former-ftc-chairwoman-edith-ramirez-joins-hogan-lovells|url-status=live|website=Hogan Lovells|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910210918/http://www.hoganlovells.com:80/en/news/former-ftc-chairwoman-edith-ramirez-joins-hogan-lovells |archive-date=2017-09-10 }}

Following the 2017 Equifax data breach, Ramirez represented Equifax in the face of privacy charges stemming from the breach. At Hogan Lovells, Ramirez represented Google-owned video platform YouTube in the face of a class action lawsuit over children's privacy.{{Cite web|last=Nylen|first=Leah|title=The Google Files: Power players|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/16/google-files-power-players-475578|access-date=2021-09-12|website=POLITICO|date=16 March 2021 |language=en}} In response to "revolving door" allegations, Hogan Lovells clarified that Ramirez's work on behalf of YouTube only applied to the class action lawsuit it faced, not the FTC's probe of the company for child safety concerns.{{Cite web|last=Mali|first=Meghashyam|date=2019-08-28|title=Tech fight puts former FTC officials in high demand|url=https://thehill.com/policy/technology/459039-tech-fight-puts-former-ftc-officials-in-high-demand|access-date=2021-09-12|website=TheHill|language=en}}