Lauren B. Hicks

Lauren Hicks specializes in Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) compliance and audit defense, pay equity statistical analyses, and diversity and inclusion. Her tenure as a former government decision-maker for OFCCP provides her with the unique ability to see both the government and contractor points of view of the compliance landscape. These perspectives drive the tangible and pragmatic advice she provides to clients on regulatory compliance or complex audit defense issues.

Lauren’s unique expertise comes from having participated in more than a thousand OFCCP compliance evaluations and dozens of OFCCP onsite investigations. She spent seven years as a District Director for OFCCP spearheading compliance audits, jurisdictional disputes, and enforcement litigation. After leading her teams to secure several of the agency’s largest discrimination case settlements, she received multiple United States Secretary of Labor Awards for exceptional casework.

Lauren now carries this compliance-centered approach to her federal contractor clients, helping identify and manage areas of risk. 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.”

• 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 the systems or data management to ensure the systems work in a manner to help 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 compliance portfolio across affirmative action programs (AAPs) or functional AAPs (FAAPs), EEO-1 reporting, VETS-4212 reporting, state compliance issues including pay transparency or other reports, and the onerous OFCCP regulatory compliance obligations requires thoughtful intentionality. While the laws are generally the same for contractors large and small, the practical compliance considerations 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. Lauren’s core belief is that there is no one simple compliance program that can be universally applied. Compliance efforts must be tailored to the workforce size and makeup, the technology systems and process being utilized, organizational culture and risk tolerances, and industry or other individualized considerations.
• Statistics and Beyond Lauren understands that compliance efforts often collapse—despite the best of intentions—because it can be difficult to understand why an adverse result is occurring. She possesses a keen expertise in assisting employers with delving into the root causes of issues such as glass ceiling or 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 statistical analysis.
• Speaking and Engagement: Recognized for her ability to demystify the complexities of the OFCCP, Lauren is a sought-after speaker and presenter, regularly sharing industry information and best practices.