Edith Ramirez named new FTC chair
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has confirmed that President Barack Obama will appoint commissioner Edith Ramirez as chair of the agency following the departure of Jon Leibowitz.
In a statement released on Thursday, February 28, the commission said Ramirez will begin work as chair on Monday.
Ramirez joined the FTC as a commissioner in April 2010. Before this, she was a partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP’s Los Angeles office, where she specialised in IP, antitrust, unfair competition and false advertising law. A Democrat and Harvard Law School graduate, Ramirez worked with Obama on student-run journal the Harvard Law Review.
Commenting on her appointment, Ramirez said: “I am deeply honoured at the opportunity to lead the Federal Trade Commission. I look forward to working with my fellow commissioners and the able FTC staff to continue the agency’s proud history of promoting vigorous competition and protecting consumers.”
Ramirez also thanked outgoing chairman Jon Leibowitz, who was due to leave the agency on February 15 but extended his tenure until his replacement was announced. Praising his “strong leadership”, she added: “I welcome the opportunity to build on his legacy of active enforcement of our antitrust and consumer protection laws.”
Ramirez is Obama’s first female cabinet appointment in his second term in office. As a sitting commissioner, her appointment does not need to be confirmed by the US Senate. Until a replacement commissioner is announced, there will be an even 2-2 split between Republicans and Democrats at the commission.
John Graubert, a partner at Covington & Burling LLP in Washington DC and former deputy general counsel and acting general counsel at the FTC, described Ramirez as "extremely intelligent" and "a highly skilled and respected lawyer”.
“There were a number of very good potential candidates mentioned in recent months, any of whom would have also been fine choices, but I always expected commissioner Ramirez would be on the short list given that she has known the President for a very long time and he presumably has great confidence in her,” he said.
Graubert said he did not expect Ramirez’s approach to leading the FTC to be dramatically different from Leibowitz’s, but added: “She has more of a private sector litigation background than Jon Leibowitz, so that may have some impact going forward.”
