WOMMA General Counsel:
Tony DiResta, Partner in Advertising, Marketing & Media, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Tony DiResta is a partner with the Advertising, Marketing & Media practice in the Washington, D.C., office. His practice focuses on governmental investigations, commercial litigation (trial and appellate), and business counseling that involves consumer protection issues (including privacy, allegations of deceptive or unfair advertising and marketing practices, and financial practices), trade regulations, and unfair competition. Mr. DiResta is a leading authority on social media issues and serves as General Counsel to the Word of Mouth Marketing Association.

Mr. DiResta is a former Director of the FTC Southeast Regional Office, and has an AV rating by Martindale-Hubbell. A seasoned advocate with a track record of successful results, he has represented clients in governmental investigations and litigation pursued by federal agencies, such as the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice, as well as in state enforcement proceedings involving state attorneys general. The depth of his experience also includes trials and appeals before many federal and state courts, class actions, and multidistrict litigation, with many of his accomplishments being highlighted in reported decisions – several of which are cutting-edge precedents. This vast experience encompasses an array of industries and involves all substantive aspects of complex business disputes.

By his appointment as Director of the FTC’s Southeast Regional Office, Mr. DiResta supervised many of the enforcement, investigative, litigation, and outreach activities of the Competition and Consumer Protection Bureaus of the agency in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama. Among his accomplishments was his initiation and coordination of a consumer protection law enforcement sweep – including the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and 15 state attorneys general, as well as the FTC – that resulted in over 25 lawsuits and proceedings throughout the country. Under his leadership, the Office received the John Marshall Award from the Attorney General of the United States for its enforcement achievements. He was also appointed as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia to prosecute telemarketing fraud.

Mr. DiResta is widely published in the areas of commercial litigation, FTC practice, governmental investigations, consumer protection, and antitrust – with many of his articles being cited by the courts and Law Reviews. In fact, one of his articles was cited with approval by the United States Supreme Court in a leading antitrust decision. He was elected to the membership of the American Law Institute in 1994, has been involved in the leadership of the ABA since 1992, and frequently serves as an expert on professional panels.

Prior to joining Manatt, Mr. DiResta was a partner at an international law firm.