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A Joint Conference of the American Antitrust Institute and the Competition Law Center at George Washington University Law School
The Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. Slaughter fundamentally altered the constitutional relationship between the President and independent regulatory commissions, raising profound questions about the future structure and operation of the Federal Trade Commission. Because the FTC combines investigative, prosecutorial, adjudicative, and rulemaking authority within a single institution, changes to the President’s removal power have implications extending far beyond personnel decisions. This conference brings together former Commissioners, academics, former agency officials, and practitioners to evaluate how Congress, the Commission, and the courts can preserve transparency, accountability, institutional integrity, and effective competition enforcement while respecting the Supreme Court’s decision. Drawing on recent scholarship and reform proposals, the program will explore both administrative reforms that could be implemented immediately and legislative reforms that may be necessary to ensure the FTC remains an expert, trusted, and effective competition agency.
This is a hybrid event and will be offered both in person and via livestream. Participants may choose to attend in person or join the program virtually through a live webcast.
Registration and Breakfast
Opening Remarks
William E. Kovacic, Global Competition Professor of Law and Policy and Director, Competition Law Center, George Washington University Law School
Randy Stutz, President, American Antitrust Institute
Keynote Speech
Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, Former Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission
Panel I: Transparency, Accountability, and Institutional Safeguards After Trump v. Slaughter
The Court’s decision raises immediate concerns about political influence over FTC decision-making and the erosion of safeguards traditionally associated with independent commissions. This panel will examine proposals designed to strengthen transparency, preserve bipartisan participation, and reduce opportunities for abuse while remaining consistent with the Court’s constitutional framework. Topics will include public disclosure of White House communications, quorum and minority-Commissioner reforms, procedural safeguards, and structural proposals intended to maintain the Commission’s independence and credibility.
Moderator:
Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, Former Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission
Panelists:
Andrew I. Gavil, Professor of Law, Howard University School of Law, and Former Director, Office of Policy Planning, Federal Trade Commission
Jon Leibowitz, Former Chairman, Federal Trade Commission
Maureen K. Ohlhausen, Partner, Wilson Sonsini, and Former Acting Chairman, Federal Trade Commission
Bilal Sayyed, Counsel, Hogan Lovells Cadwalader, and Former Director, Office of Policy Planning, Federal Trade Commission
Panel II: The Future of FTC Enforcement
Trump v. Slaughter also invites a broader reassessment of the FTC’s enforcement architecture. This panel will consider whether the agency’s administrative adjudication process should be restructured, how Congress might expand access to federal court, and whether greater enforcement authority should be vested in state attorneys general or private litigants. Panelists will assess the legal, practical, and institutional tradeoffs associated with the principal reform proposals and discuss how the FTC can continue to fulfill its statutory mission in a changed constitutional environment.
Moderator:
Tom Dahdouh, Public Service Fellow, American Antitrust Institute, and Former Attorney Advisor and Regional Director, Federal Trade Commission
Panelists:
Mary Engle, Executive Vice President, Policy, Better Business Bureau National Programs, and Former Associate Director for Advertising Practices, Consumer Protection Bureau, Federal Trade Commission
Adam Gitlin (Invited), Chief, Antitrust and Nonprofit Enforcement Section, Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia
William E. Kovacic, Global Competition Professor of Law and Policy, George Washington University Law School, and Former Chairman, Federal Trade Commission
Joshua D. Sarnoff, Raymond P. Niru Professor of Intellectual Property Law, DePaul University College of Law
Monica Vaca, Partner, Vaca Daffan Law, and Former Associate Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission
Mary Engle
Executive Vice President, Policy, Better Business Bureau National Programs
Adam Gitlin
Chief, Antitrust and Nonprofit Enforcement Section
William E. Kovacic
Global Competition Professor of Law and Policy and Director, Competition Law Center
Joshua D. Sarnoff
Raymond P. Niro Professor of Intellectual Property Law
Bilal Sayyed
Counsel, Hogan Lovells Cadwalader
Monica Vaca
Partner, Vaca Daffan Law




