John Villafranco and Andrea deLorimier Receive the 2026 Burton Awards for Distinguished Legal Writing

Advertising Law Partner John Villafranco and Associate Andrea deLorimier have been named recipients of the 2026 Burton Awards, a national honor recognizing excellence in legal writing and co-sponsored by the American Bar Association.

John and Andrea are being recognized for their article, ​“FTC Consumer Protection Orders: The Case for a New Sunset Policy,” originally published by the Washington Legal Foundation in May 2025. The article examines the FTC’s longstanding practice of imposing consent orders with twenty-year or indefinite terms, arguing that this approach warrants reconsideration considering the agency’s significantly expanded enforcement authority and the rapidly evolving business and technology landscape. The article proposes several alternative frameworks, including flexible, case-by-case sunset terms and standardized five- or ten-year policies, aimed at better balancing consumer protection with the need to support legitimate, innovative business activity, and call for a more accessible process for order modification and early termination.

The Burton Awards, established in 1999, is funded by the Burton Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and academic effort devoted to recognizing and rewarding excellence in the legal profession. 

John and Andrea will be honored and presented with the ​“Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Awards” on June 1, 2026, at the Library of Congress.