United States 
Canada (EN) 
México 
France 
Deutschland 
United Kingdom 
Lauren Hicks advises federal contractors and private employers on regulatory compliance, workplace equity, and legal risk management. She advises clients on a wide range of employment-related obligations enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, including requirements related to hiring, compensation, accommodations, and workplace investigations.
Lauren draws on her deep government experience as a former management official with the U.S. Department of Labor to help employers pragmatically manage legal risks. She routinely provides strategic guidance on shifting political priorities and associated risk management, audit preparation or defense, AI and technology risks, equity analytics, and complaint resolution. Lauren advises employers on new and evolving risk considerations and enforcement priorities under Executive Order 14173, as well as other federal enforcement actions. She has extensive experience guiding clients through government investigations and audits involving systemic discrimination claims, including statistical analyses of hiring, promotion, and compensation practices. Lauren helps employers design and implement internal processes to support compliance, accessibility, and equal opportunity objectives. She is a trusted resource for in-house counsel and HR leaders, whether navigating routine day-to-day compliance, high-risk employment actions, organizational change, or government engagement.
Before joining Ogletree Deakins, Lauren held a leadership role at the U.S. Department of Labor, where she managed hundreds of investigations and negotiated high-profile enforcement outcomes. Her insights on employment compliance, executive orders, and government enforcement have been featured in legal publications, media commentary, and national webinars. According to her Chambers USA Leading Lawyers reviews, clients value her direct and insightful approach. As one attests, “Lauren is an absolute star. She is very knowledgeable about the way the government works and she provides practical advice.” Another client noted: “The quality of her advice is very high. She is diligent, patient and responsive. I think those qualities make her especially valuable to us.”
- Representative Industries: Sample industry knowledge includes technology, defense and intelligence, manufacturing, medtech and healthcare, professional service firms, consumer goods, financial services, and electronics.
- AI and Technology: Understanding the rapid advancement of technology in the workplace, Lauren provides forward-thinking counsel on the compliance considerations surrounding artificial intelligence, applicant tracking, and other automated systems. This work can include statistical analyses of the impact of technology or providing practical guidance on systems or data management to ensure systems work in a manner that helps the organization’s compliance efforts.
- Pay Equity: Complex pay equity work involves conducting thorough analyses of an organization’s compensation structures and practices to identify any disparities that may exist across different demographics, such as gender, race, and ethnicity. Lauren collaborates with organizational leaders to work through the meticulous process of gathering and examining employment data and managing multiple-regression or other statistical analyses to assess pay differences. She also partners with clients to implement strategies that proactively address and minimize risks of future pay inequities within their organizations.
- Compliance Management: Managing a portfolio of compliance obligations, including requirements like the EEO-1, VETS-4212, AAPs, and state pay transparency or other reports, requires thoughtful intentionality. While the laws are similar for contractors large and small, the practical compliance considerations and approach are not. Lauren’s clients range from new federal contractors learning to manage the basics of compliance to multinational enterprises with billions of dollars in payroll. Compliance must be customized to the workforce size and makeup, the technology systems and processes being utilized, organizational culture and risk tolerances, and industry or other individualized considerations.
- Workforce Analytics: Lauren possesses a keen expertise in assisting employers with delving into the root causes of issues in the employment process, including invisible advancement barriers, compensation disparities, or adverse hiring statistics. Lauren focuses her strategic guidance on uncovering and addressing obstacles that might not be apparent from a superficial review of hiring, promotions, performance management, or other employment lifecycle events.
- Speaking and Engagement: Recognized for her ability to demystify the complexities of federal employment law, regulatory compliance, and risk management, Lauren is a sought-after speaker and presenter, regularly sharing industry information and best practices.
