April 9, 2020
Rainey Mancini, Senior Vice President
Eleanor F. Powell, Vice President
Investor Relations, The Estée Lauder Companies
767 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10153
Dear Ms. Mancini and Ms. Powell:
Campaign for Accountability, a nonprofit watchdog organization, writes to respectfully
inform Estée Lauder that its brand is being misused by an anti-abortion and anti-birth control group
called Obria Medical Clinics of Southern California, likely without the company’s consent and in
conflict with the stated interests of Estée Lauder’s top investors.
Obria is a network of approximately 35 crisis pregnancy centers that do not offer
contraception, including condoms, beyond fertility awareness and oppose abortion without
exception. Estée Lauder employee Vicki Smith, a La Mer regional training director,1 chairs Obria’s
Board of Directors. Ms. Smith is listed on Obria’s “About Us” webpage as “Vicki Smith   Estée
Lauder   Former Education Director   Board Chair.”2 It also appears that Ms. Smith has used her
Estée Lauder email address, vismith@estee.com, to conduct Obria business,3 implying the
company sponsors and/or supports Obria’s work. Estée Lauder should be aware that its name and
brand is being misused in this way.
Obria seeks to create a façade of respectability, behind which it shames women and limits
their reproductive healthcare options. An apparent connection with a well-regarded company lends
legitimacy and credibility to Obria’s highly controversial and racially charged policies and
practices. However, that apparent association goes both ways. The Estée Lauder affiliation listed
on Obria’s website and the company’s domain name used in the organization’s official
communications suggest Estée Lauder’s approval of Obria’s efforts to oppose birth control and
limit women’s reproductive freedom.
Four of Estée Lauder’s top shareholders are Vanguard Group Inc., Blackrock Inc., FMR
LLC, and State Street Corp,4 each of which is committed to advancing gender equity through their
investments. Increased access to birth control is fundamental to achieving gender parity, and
apparent support for an anti-birth control organization like Obria could negatively affect these
funds’ estimation of Estée Lauder’s alignment with their ideals and discourage their continued
investment in the company.
Estée Lauder should disavow any apparent association with Obria by demanding Obria
remove the Estée Lauder name from its “About Us” webpage and that the organization cease
referring to the company in any further publications or communications.
Sincerely,
Alice Huling, Counsel

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicki-smith-86b05173/.
https://omcsocal.org/aboutus.
3 https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6834133-Emailw-VickiSmith.html
4 https://www.elcompanies.com/en/investors/stock-information/ownership-profile
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