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Federal Trade Commission Chairman Joseph J. Simons announced today that FTC Deputy General Counsel Heather Hippsley is retiring from the Commission on February 29, after more than 35 years of service to the Commission and consumers.

“Heather is an exemplary leader and a tireless advocate for the American public,” Chairman Simons said. “We are deeply grateful for her positive spirit and dedication to the FTC, not to mention her tremendous skill as an attorney, and we thank her for her service.”

Hippsley served as the FTC’s Chief of Staff from 2013 to 2017 under Chairwoman Edith Ramirez, and subsequently was appointed Deputy General Counsel by Acting Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen. Before that, she worked as an Assistant Director in the Divisions of Advertising Practices, Enforcement and Service Industry Practices, and as an Attorney Advisor to Commissioners Andrew J. Strenio, Jr. and Dennis A. Yao. She joined the agency in 1984 as an attorney in the agency’s Cleveland Regional Office.

Hippsley managed a number of successful FTC law enforcement actions and policy initiatives of national significance, including the Commission’s cases against POM Wonderful and serial fraudster Kevin Trudeau, and the FTC’s first privacy case against Eli Lilly. She also coordinated enforcement sweeps targeting job scams, investment scams, and scholarship search scams.

Hippsley oversaw a series of reports on the food industry’s marketing to children and adolescents that spurred industry voluntary guidelines for the nutritional quality in foods marketed to children.

She has received numerous FTC awards, including the Chairman’s Award; the Louis D. Brandeis Award for excellence in litigation; the FTC Excellence in Supervision Award; and the Janet D. Steiger Team Award. In addition, Hippsley created the 2014 programing to commemorate the centennial of the FTC.

Hippsley is a graduate of Georgetown University and received her law degree cum laude from the Lewis and Clark School of Law. 

The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition, and protect and educate consumers. You can learn more about consumer topics and file a consumer complaint online or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357). Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, read our blogs, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.