Benjamin Powell, general counsel of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence since 2006, has joined Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr as a partner in the firm's regulatory and government affairs department.
Powell also will be a member of the firm's defense, national security, and government contracts practice group as well as its government and regulatory litigation group. His practice will focus on counseling for defense, national security, and information technology clients, as well as advice in connection with Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) matters and government related commercial litigation.
Powell served as general counsel to the first three directors of National Intelligence and worked closely with Congress to modernize the laws governing electronic surveillance, an effort culminating in the passage of a comprehensive bipartisan bill in 2008. Before becoming general counsel, he was an associate counsel and special assistant to the president, where his responsibilities included legal work with the Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, Department of Justice, and Department of Commerce.
Before his government service, Powell was corporate counsel at California-based Vitria Technology, and he also worked as a litigator at the D.C. firm now called Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans & Figel. A graduate of Columbia University School of Law, he clerked for Supreme Court Justices John Paul Stevens and Byron White.
"Ben's breadth of experience will be invaluable to our work on national security, technology, foreign investment and government litigation issues," added Jamie Gorelick, chairwoman of the defense, national security and government contracts group. "He will contribute immediately to our public policy and strategy practice." —By Marcia Coyle
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