Regan A. Smith

Regan A. Smith is a Professional Lecturer in Law at George Washington University and Senior Vice President & General Counsel of News Media Alliance, formerly Head of Public Policy in Spotify’s Government Affairs group. In that role, she is responsible for analyzing a wide range of proposed and enacted laws and regulations globally which may potentially impact Spotify’s business operations. She works cross functionally to develop policy positions and actions to advance company objectives on issues including copyright, broadcasting, alternate methods for calculating royalty payouts, data localization, content moderation, and compliance with cultural policies. Prior to joining Spotify in 2021, Regan spent seven years at the United States Copyright Office, including four years as General Counsel and Associate Register of Copyrights. During that time, she led or participated in approximately 50 rulemakings that overhauled various Office administration practices, reformed the section 1201 rulemaking required by the DMCA, and implemented all aspects of the Music Modernization Act. She routinely advised congressional offices, the Department of Justices, and other agencies on copyright legislation or litigation matters, and played a key role in multiple policy studies conducted by the Copyright Office. Before joining the Copyright Office, Regan spent several years in private practice in Chicago, where she represented a variety of clients in matters concerning copyright, technology, media, and related intellectual property issues. Regan earned her JD from Harvard Law School, where she served on the Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. She earned her BA in philosophy and political science from the University of Michigan.