Stuart P. Ingis
Chairman
Stu has represented a number of high-level executives in testimony before Congress and is relied upon by clients for his advocacy during congressional investigations, especially in crisis management situations specific to congressional relations. He also defends and advises companies in investigations by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), state attorneys general, and state consumer protection authorities, among others. Clients depend on Stu to help them resolve challenging situations efficiently and on favorable terms.
Stu brings coalitions together and leads self-regulatory efforts to develop and implement new standards and best practices in the eCommerce, privacy, and data security industry. He represents the nation’s leading marketing and advertising trade associations in legal and policy matters; in this capacity he serves as marketing, government affairs, and privacy counsel to the Association of National Advertisers (ANA). He is also counsel to the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) – the cross-industry self-regulatory online advertising initiative that brings together the nation's leading marketing and advertising trade associations, including the ANA, IAB, the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s), and the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI).
In addition to providing regulatory compliance counseling, Stu has represented clients in numerous federal and state privacy-related legislation and rulemakings, including:
- The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
- The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
- The Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act (CAN-SPAM)
- The Electronic Signatures Act (E-Sign)
- The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
- The Financial Privacy Provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA)
- The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
- The Restore Online Shopper’s Confidence Act (ROSCA)
- The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)
- The Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR)
- The EU-U.S. and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Frameworks
- Federal and state unfair and deceptive acts and practices (UDAP) laws
- Federal data privacy legislation
- Federal and state bills that would legislate federal data security breach notification
- Federal legislation that would limit organized retail crime online and offline
In his compliance practice, Stu also conducts internal assessments of company data security practices and products and works with clients to design and implement compliance systems and best practices.
Related Practices
Experience
Experience
Representative Matters
Crisis Management and Advocacy
- Served as lead counsel to a major retailer in various crisis response capacities, including orchestrating, strategizing, and leading congressional witness preparation; serving as “first chair” during the client’s testimony at U.S. House and Senate hearings; serving as counsel during congressional investigations; coordinating responses to multiple state attorneys general; counseling on media communications; and delivering legal guidance to the c-suite and government affairs team. The company’s stock price spiked up immediately following the client’s congressional testimony
- Represented companies in investigations by the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and various state attorneys general. We prepared responses and negotiated with staff in investigations into the data collection, use, and disclosure practices of companies deemed to be “data brokers,” from a variety of different industries. Counseled witnesses testifying before the Senate Commerce Committee as part of its investigation and assisted the companies with their public responses to the reports issued by the Senate Commerce Committee and the FTC at the close of their respective investigations
Federal Agency and State Attorney General Investigations
- Represented a provider of web analytics, research, and measurement in an FTC investigation of its data and privacy practices. The matter closed with no enforcement action
- Represented a provider of wireless telecommunications and Internet services in investigations of its data and privacy practices. The matter closed with no enforcement action
- Replaced counsel in representing a brand name retailer in a multi-year FTC advertising-related investigation. The matter closed with no action
- Represented a major Internet retailer in an FTC investigation and litigation involving in-app purchases for mobile applications
- Provided a second opinion on legal arguments and a proposed settlement for a social network services provider
- Represented a major media company in providing a third-party service to a content provider responding to a civil investigative demand (CID). The matter closed with no further action
- Represented a consumer reporting agency in an advertising disclosures-related issue before state attorneys general, the FTC, and the FCC
- Represented a financial services company before the FTC in a data breach investigation
- Represented a leading provider of data services in an FTC investigation of its data security practices
- Represented a company in a negative option investigation before the FTC
- Represented a leading provider of television video recording services in a privacy investigation
- Represented a company in a first-ever FTC privacy enforcement action, resulting in a favorable consent decree
- Represented an Internet reputation services company in an enforcement action involving the Fair Credit Reporting Act
- Represented a company in litigation challenging the FTC for its Telemarketing Sales Rule
- Represented an Internet advertising technology service provider in a multi-state attorney general inquiry regarding the use of cookies
- Represented a leading fast-food chain in a state attorney general Children’s Privacy and Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) inquiry
- Represented multiple providers of email services in response to an FTC CAN-SPAM Act 6(b) inquiry
- Represented multiple data brokers in response to an FTC 6(b) inquiry
- Represented a financial services company before the BCFP in a privacy matter
Industry Trade Associations and Coalitions
- Facilitated the convening of the Coalition for Better Ads, comprising several trade associations and companies in the online media ecosystem, to commence an industry-wide effort to address challenges posed by commercial ad blockers that could result in threatening the ad-supported Internet
- Served as Marketing, government affairs, and privacy counsel, Association of National Advertisers (ANA)
- Served as Washington advertising and privacy counsel, Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)
- Served as Counsel, Digital Advertising Alliance, the cross-industry self-regulation entity for the online advertising initiative
Insights
Insights
Credentials
Credentials
Education
- J.D. Villanova University School of Law 1997
- B.A. Hamilton College 1993
Bar Admissions
- District of Columbia
Professional Memberships and Activities
- Co-author, Data Security Rules of the Road: A Guidebook to FTC Cases v1.0
- Co-author, Data Breach Notification Law Handbook v.2.0
- Co-author, Data Breach Notification Law Handbook
- Co-author, Privacy Protection in the United States: A Survey
- Served as primary draftsperson of the advertising and consumer protection section of the American Bar Association’s millennium plenary paper on Internet jurisdiction
- Worked with the Electronic Commerce and Consumer Protection Group, comprising many large companies, to draft a code of best consumer protection principles and an approach to jurisdiction online
Recognition
Recognition
- BTI Consulting Group, Client Service All-Star, 2022
- The Best Lawyers in America, 2018 – 2025
- Lawyer of the Year, 2019
- Direct Marketing Club of New York, Apple of Excellence for Advocacy, 2018 (Inaugural award)
- Super Lawyers, Washington, DC, 2018
- Who’s Who Legal
- Data – Data Privacy & Protection, 2020
- Telecommunications Media & Technology: Information Technology, 2017
- National Law Journal, Trailblazer, Regulatory & Compliance, 2015
- Washingtonian, Top Lawyer, Cybersecurity, 2015
- Chambers Global
- Eminent Practitioner, Privacy and Data Security, 2022
- Privacy and Data Security (Band 1), 2011 – 2017
- Chambers USA
- Eminent Practitioner, Privacy & Data Security: ADTECH, Nationwide, 2024
- Eminent Practitioner, Privacy & Data Security (Band 1), 2019 – 2024
- Spotlight Table, Privacy & Data Security: ADTECH, Nationwide, 2022 – 2023
- Privacy and Data Security (Band 1), Nationwide, 2008 – 2018
- Legal 500
- Hall of Fame, Media, Technology and Telecoms – Cyber Law (including data privacy and data protection), 2017 – 2023
- Leading Lawyer, Media, Technology and Telecoms – Cyber Law (including data privacy and data protection), 2008 – 2018
- Advertising and Marketing, 2008 – 2015, 2017 – 2019, 2024
- ComputerWorld, Top 25 Global Privacy Expert
Community
Community
Volunteerism
- Member, Board of Trustees, Hamilton College