Leading Authority on Youth Online Safety Policy and Litigation Nicole Lopez Joins Orrick

• Nicole Lopez, a leading authority on youth online safety policy and litigation, has joined Orrick as a partner in San Francisco. She joins from Meta Platforms, where she served as Global Director of Youth Safety Policy and leader of Global Youth Litigation Strategy.
• As a member of Orrick's Public Policy and Online Safety Teams, Nicole will advise clients seeking to strengthen their commitment to protecting children while advocating for responsible policy that promotes platform innovation, helping clients navigate risks. She will focus on four areas: (1) advising on state, federal, and international legal and regulatory compliance; (2) advocating for innovative, effective, and pro-competitive laws and regulations; (3) representing clients in inquiries and investigations before state attorneys general and the federal administration; and (4) developing strategy to defend high-stakes claims and appeals.
• As an executive within Meta's policy group, Nicole developed compliance strategy and product implementation across Meta's apps. She oversaw Meta's Youth Safety and Well-Being Policy and led a team of subject matter experts that shaped youth product strategy and launches, including Teen Accounts and 13+ content experiences, VR for under 13-year-olds, GenAI developments, and various cross-app well-being features. Nicole brings deep policy advocacy experience, having testified before numerous U.S. state legislatures and European Parliament hearings, educated lawmakers in Congress and the EU and regulators in the Middle East and Asia, and engaged in ongoing dialogue with regulators and state AGs.
• In addition to her policy work, Nicole led and developed Meta's global youth litigation strategy. She also brings eight years of experience as a prosecutor in California, including managing joint state and federal task-force investigations, leading 50+ misdemeanor and felony jury and bench trials, and prosecuting child abuse, child exploitation, and child endangerment cases, among others. Nicole began her career as a litigator in private practice.

"I am so immensely proud of the pioneering work we did at Meta as a team, where I worked with incredibly talented colleagues who cared so deeply about getting it right," said Nicole. "I'm looking forward to my next chapter at Orrick where I can have a broader impact. There's simply no better platform from which to help companies navigate this online safety landscape. We have all of the tools in the toolkit - data, technology, AI, proven policies and processes, and open dialogue with policymakers and enforcers - to help a broad range of clients achieve outcomes that protect both innovators and kids. I can't wait to start."

"We are facing a watershed moment," said Jeremy Kudon, who leads Orrick's State Legislative practice. "Twenty-five state legislatures are actively considering youth online safety legislation: from outright bans to what amounts to a patchwork of different guardrails, disclosure obligations, design modifications and liability regimes in order to operate. Online safety is top of mind for innovators, government, teens and parents, and society at large, and Nicole has long been leading this conversation with each of these constituencies."

"Nicole is part policy expert, part litigation and regulatory strategist, and part business advisor - she will be an extraordinary resource to our clients," said Aravind Swaminathan, Orrick's Tech Sector Co-Leader and head of the firm's 18-partner Online Safety practice. "Especially with AI driving content creation, content moderation and human connection at an unprecedented pace, it's more important than ever for companies to be proactive about youth safety. This priority is driving fundamental changes in product design and technology solutions across the tech sector - in the U.S., EU, and worldwide. And Nicole has been at the forefront of working closely with some of the most forward-looking business stakeholders to develop successful strategies to do so."

"There's a huge opportunity to educate and advocate before state AGs, as we collaborate to get this right. Nicole is a proven thought leader in this area," added Rob McKenna, leader of Orrick's Public Policy practice.

Orrick advises disruptive companies in developing and implementing online safety solutions across product counseling, policy advocacy, litigation and transactions. The firm maintains its Online Safety Law Center to help the market stay abreast of this rapidly changing landscape.