Lauren Guth Barnes
Acting CEO
Lauren Guth Barnes is the Acting Chief Executive Officer of Public Justice, where she brings more than two decades of experience as a private public-interest lawyer, a respected leader in the plaintiffs’ bar, and a long-time champion of access to justice, equity, and community-centered advocacy.
Before stepping into the Acting CEO role, Lauren served Public Justice for more than seven years in board leadership, including as Secretary, DEIA Committee Chair, member of the Executive Committee, and past chair of the Class Action Preservation Project. As a long-time member of the Public Justice community, she has been at the forefront, and at the heart, of many of our most important initiatives over the years.
Lauren spent over 20 years at Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, where she built a reputation as a respected and accomplished plaintiff side class action litigator in high-stakes antitrust and consumer protection cases on behalf of patients, purchasers, and the public. She served as court-appointed lead or co-lead counsel in major actions challenging allegedly anticompetitive conduct by pharmaceutical companies—work that returned hundreds of millions of dollars to consumers and the healthcare system. Known for her ability to lead large, diverse teams across firms and disciplines, Lauren directed litigation strategy, managed multimillion-dollar budgets, supervised expert work, and authored dozens of briefs in some of the most consequential healthcare antitrust matters in the country.
At Hagens Berman, Lauren also held significant operational leadership roles. She was an inaugural member of the firm’s Management Committee, led the Boston office’s administrative functioning, oversaw hiring and personnel decisions, and designed and implemented the office’s annual review and professional development processes for nearly 30 lawyers and staff. She also served as the sponsoring partner for the firm’s women’s employee resource group, advancing mentorship, equity, and belonging.
Lauren’s commitment to public service extends far beyond her litigation practice. She has served in national leadership within the American Association for Justice for more than a decade—holding positions on the Board of Governors, Executive Committee, and Committee on the Judiciary, chairing the Women Trial Lawyers Caucus, and co-chairing the Law Students Committee since 2012. She is a member of the Massachusetts IOLTA Committee, a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, an Advisory Board member of the National Plaintiffs Law Association, and previously served on the boards of On The Rise and the National Civil Justice Institute.
A frequent speaker, writer, and educator, Lauren has testified on proposed changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, published on forced arbitration and class actions, and works closely with students in Harvard Law School’s Systemic Justice Lab.
Lauren’s work has earned national recognition, including regular selection to Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Lawyers in America and multiple awards from the American Association for Justice, such as the Distinguished Service Award and the Marie Lambert Award for exemplary leadership to the profession, community, and the Women Trial Lawyers Caucus.
She holds a J.D. from Boston College Law School and a B.A. in International Relations from Williams College. She lives in Belmont, Massachusetts.