Kerrie Campbell is a partner in the firm's Washington, D.C., office and chair of the Consumer Product Safety practice group. She specializes in consumer product safety matters, including related counseling, investigations and litigation. With extensive libel and First Amendment litigation experience, Ms. Campbell is one of the leading reputation protection lawyers in the country. When companies, brands or individuals are harmed by inaccurate media reports and publications, she crafts a strategic approach to reveal the truth, set the record straight, and obtain relief to rectify the wrong.  When damaging misinformation implicates government agency or congressional action, Ms. Campbell works with clients to develop a problem-solving approach that includes congressional member outreach and advocacy.

CPSC and CPSIA

For over two decades and through many administrations, Ms. Campbell has represented manufacturers, importers, retailers and distributors, large and small, in investigation, enforcement and penalty proceedings before the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and in matters referred by the CPSC to the U.S. Department of Justice.  She counsels clients on compliance with product safety laws administered by the CPSC, reporting requirements, product recalls, Freedom of Information Act requests, and Section 6(b) disclosure issues. The author of a comprehensive BNA overview article on the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), Ms. Campbell helps companies understand and comply with sweeping CPSIA requirements.

Reputation Protection, Defamation, and First Amendment Litigation

Ms. Campbell has 25 years of unique litigation experience, focused primarily on libel, First Amendment and commercial speech matters in both trial and appellate courts. She has extensive experience in matters involving the print, broadcast and online media and regularly advises clients on pre- and post-publication strategies to refute inaccurate or misleading publications that unfairly harm the reputations of individuals, businesses and products.

Ms. Campbell has successfully litigated defamation and Lanham Act cases on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants and has successfully defended a Section 5 Unfair Practices action implicating the constitutionality under the First Amendment of Federal Trade Commission action prohibiting or regulating commercial speech.  The FTC voluntarily dismissed the case after two weeks of trial.

Ms. Campbell has represented public figures, including G. Gordon Liddy, Deepak Chopra, and Mark Felt, Sr. ("Deep Throat") in high-profile cases and obtained the largest defamation jury verdict affirmed by the Virginia Supreme Court against a local news station based on a false and defamatory "I Team" investigative report. In a case involving constitutionally protected freedoms of religion, speech and equal protection, Ms. Campbell represented Lt. Colonel Martha McSally - the first woman to command a U.S. Air Force fighter squadron -- in her successful challenge of Department of Defense regulations requiring American servicewomen stationed in Saudi Arabia to wear the Islamic abaya and ride in the backseat of vehicles.  McSally's courageous challenge moved Congress, by a unanimous vote, to prohibit the DOD regulations.

Government Affairs

Ms. Campbell works closely with companies, brands and individuals to ensure that congressional representatives understand their constituents' concerns and business, and to establish relationships with members before a problem arises. In today's highly competitive 24-hour news cycle, sensational calls for agency and Congressional "investigations" have become de rigueur. Left unrefuted, damaging misinformation can prompt unwarranted alarm and action. Ms. Campbell works with clients to ensure that agency decision makers and congressional members have accurate facts and data to inform any evaluation or action they may be called upon to take.