Consumer watchdog gets new top lawyer

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission name Stephanie Tsacoumis as its new general counsel effective December 10.

Tsacoumis joins CPSC after serving as vp and general counsel at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., from 2009 through 2012, where she was responsible for all legal affairs and compliance matters at the university, including health and safety regulations, litigation, federal contracts and grants, and intellectual property.

"Adding her impressive skill set to the fantastic team we have at CPSC will make us even more effective and help us sustain our position as the global leader in consumer product safety," said CPSC chairman Inez Tenenbaum.

Tsacoumis brings 25 years of legal experience to the government agency charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction.

Prior to Georgetown, she was a corporate partner and co-partner in charge at the international law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. During her time at the firm, she represented government-chartered entities, nonprofit organizations, and top public and private companies in regulatory, advisory, corporate and transactional matters.

The office of the general counsel within CPSC performs several key functions, including providing advice and counsel to the chairman and commissioners, coordinating petitions and rulemaking, pursuing civil penalties and administrative lawsuits, and enforcing federal safety standards.