Bio

Melissa Maalouf’s practice focuses on representing clients in a wide range of privacy, security, advertising, and e-commerce matters through counseling, responding to FTC and State Attorneys General investigations, and analyzing risks associated with corporate transactions.

She regularly counsels providers of emerging technologies such as internet-connected devices, artificial intelligence, online marketplaces, fintech companies, and mobile applications in integrating “privacy-by-design” concepts into their products and services through the creation of appropriate consumer disclosures, website terms, internal policies and procedures, and consumer choice mechanisms. She advises clients and defends them in federal and state regulatory enforcement actions regarding the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”) and online child safety considerations; alleged violations of Section 5 of the FTC Act; and state and federal privacy laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), FERPA, SOPIPA, BIPA, GLBA, FCRA, and CAN-SPAM.

Melissa works closely with clients to develop strategies, commensurate with their size and international footprint, for compliance with global marketing and cookies rules, consumer protection regulations, data protection laws (including the EU GDPR and Brazilian LGPD), and international data transfer restrictions. She also advises on e-commerce issues such as consumer disclosures during the e-commerce flow, auto-renewal subscription regulations, and electronic signature laws.

Prior to joining ZwillGen, Melissa was an associate in the Communications, Media, and Privacy group at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, where she counseled clients on a variety of international and domestic data privacy, data security, e-commerce, and technology issues.

While at American University, Washington College of Law, Melissa served as the Editor-in-Chief of Volume 56 of the American University Law Review, received the Outstanding Graduate Award, and was a recipient of the Myer’s Society Scholarship.

Awards & Recognitions

• Named a “Top 40 Under 40” global data lawyer
• Named a DC area “Rising Star of Law”
• Ranked in Chambers USA, Privacy & Data Security, 2023
  View profile→