Laura Brett Named New Director of NAD

More than a month after the retirement of former NAD Director Andrea Levine, the Advertising Self-Regulatory Council (“ASRC”) has announced NAD’s new Director: Laura Brett. Laura Brett, who has served as NAD’s Assistant Director since 2015, joined NAD in April of 2012. During her five years at NAD, Laura has authored several seminal decisions including NAD’s highly publicized 2015 DirecTV decision. She has also authored several monitoring decisions that deal with the intersection between social media and advertising law. (See, for example, NAD’s Kardashian and eSalon decisions.) Laura has spoken frequently about NAD and has earned a reputation for her strong judgment, rigorous analytical skills, and integrity.

Prior to joining NAD, Laura maintained her own private practice where she handled a variety of litigation matters. Earlier in her career, Laura practiced for seven years at Willkie Farr & Gallagher. Laura has litigated a wide variety of cases in state and federal courts, including, securities fraud cases, accounting and actuarial liability matters, trademark related breach of contract claims, as well as cases involving family law, political asylum, and intellectual property. Laura is experienced working in alternative dispute resolution forums including representing clients in mediation and arbitration. Her prior practice involved extensive work with expert witnesses and required evaluating competing expert testimony on a variety matters. In addition to Laura’s work in litigation, she has served on the Board of numerous not-for-profit organizations and is an elected official on her local City Council. Laura graduated with a B.A. from Trinity College in Hartford, CT, with a double major in American Studies and English Writing, as well as from Fordham University School of Law.

ASRC’s decision to hire from within NAD suggests, we hope, continuity and a smooth transition of power. Laura’s experience, abilities, and temperament make her a logical and wise choice for the role.