Emily represents a variety of clients, from family owned businesses to Fortune 100 companies, in investigations and litigation brought by state AGs, the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice, and other state and local regulators. She has handled consumer protection, antitrust, and data privacy claims in industries including technology, pharmaceuticals, financial services, telecommunications, eCommerce, tobacco, online gaming, health care, hospitality, and real estate. Emily’s practice is nationwide and spans all commercial sectors, and she provides one-stop support to her clients — whether a client has received a subpoena or a settlement offer, Emily is equipped to advise. Receptive and responsive, Emily advocates on behalf of her clients to achieve outcomes that best serve their business interests.
 
Emily’s counsel is guided by her principle that best practice is to be proactive rather than reactive. Her perspective on representing any client focuses on obtaining a thorough understanding of the client’s business operations, as well as its challenges and its goals, and thereafter addressing the legal issues at hand. True to her forward-looking and thoughtful nature, Emily particularly enjoys working on behalf of her clients to craft and execute engagement and compliance strategies to avoid or mitigate AG regulatory scrutiny.
 
In addition to her state AGs practice representation, Emily’s pro bono practice centers on issues she cares deeply about: environmental conservation, serving the veteran population, and appellate advocacy. An ardent visitor of national parks and a longtime advocate for the military community dating back to her time as student body president at American University, Emily believes in giving back to the people and places that have shaped her life experiences. 
 
Emily’s approach to private practice is shaped heavily by her prior experiences; she is proud of having spent over a decade in government or civically oriented work, in and around the state AG realm. Prior to joining Cozen O’Connor, she served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Judge Lavenski R. Smith in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and the Honorable Judge Brian S. Miller in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. She also worked for the Solicitor General in the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office. In law school, Emily served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Ivan D. Davis in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, as a legal intern for the U.S. Sentencing Commission, and as a law clerk for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Before law school, Emily worked on several campaigns at the state and federal levels across the country, including for multiple former state AGs. She appreciates the opportunity her practice affords her to meld her extensive knowledge of judicial and law enforcement systems with her background in politics, all in service of her clients.
 

Experience

Publications

State AGs Mean Business: What 2024 Elections Mean for Companies

October 22, 2024

In this article for Reuters/WestLaw, Ketan Bhirud and Emily Yu analyze the potential impact the upcoming AG elections may have on businesses.

CFPB's New Registration Rule Will Intensify Nonbank Scrutiny

July 09, 2024

In Law360 Ketan Bhirud and Emily Yu examine the new CFPB rule that could reshape the landscape of nonbank financial regulation.

State AG Pulse | Content moderation vs. free expression

April 22, 2024

There is bipartisan agreement around the importance of protecting the safety of children and teens online. In Episode 4 of State AG Pulse, Jerry Kilgore, Stephen Cobb and Emily Yu look at the efforts of state AGs, legislation and the Supreme Court to achieve this.

The Multifaceted State AG Response To New Technologies

April 05, 2024

In Law360 Ketan Bhirud and Emily Yu discuss emerging technologies and how state AGs are navigating the complex terrain.

What's On The Horizon In Attorney General Enforcement [Law360]

February 20, 2024

In Law360 Ketan Bhirud, Chris Allen and Emily Yu discuss how recent state AG enforcement actions offer a taste of what’s to come in 2024.

State AG Pulse | AG Elections: Summing Up 2023 and Eying Up 2024

November 13, 2023

With the 2023 AG elections almost done and dusted, Stephen Cobb and Emily Yu consider the results and look ahead to what these off-cycle elections portend for 2024’s AG elections.

State AG Pulse | When Testing Systems, Don’t Use Real Data!

October 23, 2023

When more than $2 billion was withdrawn from borrowers’ accounts without their authorization as the result of a data testing error, AGs paid attention. Meghan Stoppel and Emily Yu explore why and suggest precautionary measures companies can take.

State AG Pulse | Is SAFER Banking Finally Coming To The Cannabis Industry?

October 02, 2023

In Episode 4, Chris Allen and Emily Yu look at the history of the SAFER Banking Act and consider whether the latest legislative proposal will realize AGs’ bipartisan ambitions for a regulatory and enforcement regime for cannabis that generates additional state revenues, deters bad actors, and provides businesses with predictability and legal certainty.

Swain Wood: Scoring Success in Opioid Settlements and Life Beyond the Law

September 15, 2023

State AG Group member Emily Yu speaks with Swain Wood to learn more about his life in and out of the law.

State AG Pulse | AGs to Forever Chemicals Cos: We Want More Money and We Want It Now

September 11, 2023

Season 3 of State AG Pulse launches with a dive into an amicus letter submitted by a group of state AGs in which the AGs express their concerns about how much the companies responsible for “forever chemical” contamination should pay and when.

Sneak Preview: State AG Pulse Season Three

May 24, 2023

In a sneak preview of Season 3 of State AG Pulse, Chris Allen and Emily Yu dig into a story from last week’s state AG news about a cryptocurrency scheme that set off flares in the state AG world.

State AGs, Staff Discuss Algorithms & Organized Retail Crime at Symposium

April 27, 2023

NAAG recently held its annual Attorney General Symposium. Emily Yu outlines key takeaways from two business-critical panels.

How Cos. Should Navigate State AGs' Partisan ESG Approach

April 26, 2023

Meghan Stoppel and Emily Yu wrote in Law360 about why companies should engage with AGs on both sides of the aisle to minimize risk related to ESG-based investing.

Regulators and Cybersecurity Leaders Advise Businesses on How to Prepare For A Major Attack and the Consequences of Failure to Act

April 06, 2023

On April 4, 2023, the office of Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul was joined by leaders in technology and law enforcement for a full-day symposium designed to inform CISOs, CTOs and CIOs on how best to protect their business from cyber threats.

In 2022, Opioids, Data Privacy, and ESG Dominated the State AG Landscape

January 17, 2023

State AG Group member Emily Yu speaks with her colleagues for their take on the most significant AG actions of the past year and what they foretell for AGs’ priorities in 2023.

Web Design Do's And Don'ts Amid Dark Pattern Enforcement

November 09, 2022

In Law360, Ann-Marie Luciano and Emily Yu offer practical guidance to help businesses minimize the risk of regulatory enforcement arising from “dark pattern” marketing practices.

Education

  • George Mason University, J.D., 2019
  • American University, B.A., cum laude, 2013
  • District of Columbia
  • Arkansas
  • U.S. District Court -- Eastern District of Arkansas
  • U.S. District Court -- Western District of Arkansas
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit