Former White House Counsel Rejoins Latham & Watkins

May 20, 2014, Washington, D.C. and New York … Latham & Watkins LLP is pleased to announce that Kathryn Ruemmler will rejoin the firm as a partner in the Litigation Department and as a member of the White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Group. Ruemmler will return to the firm in July. She will be resident in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office and looks forward to expanding her practice to New York. She was previously both a partner and an associate at the firm.

Ruemmler returns to Latham after five and a half years of government service, most recently as Counsel to the President of the United States.  As the President's longest serving Counsel, Ruemmler was one of the President's most senior advisors, providing strategic advice on all legal matters implicating domestic and foreign policy and national security.  She also managed the Administration's response to Congressional investigations and other litigation, and she worked closely with members of the President's Cabinet on a variety of crisis management matters.  Additionally, Ruemmler worked with the Cabinet and Agency general counsels on the implementation of complex legislation, including the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and the Clean Air Act.  During her tenure, she was also responsible for the appointment of all federal judges and United States Attorneys.

"I am honored to have had the opportunity to work for a President whom I greatly admire and with a talented and devoted team at the White House. I leave with great fondness and respect for my colleagues at the White House, the Department of Justice, and across the government. I am also excited to rejoin my friends and colleagues at Latham," said Ruemmler.  "The firm has a deep and formidable bench of talent, a culture that fosters teamwork and collegiality, and unmatched global litigation capability. I am thrilled to be back on Latham's team counseling the world's top companies, financial institutions, and executives and helping them through their most difficult legal challenges."

Robert M. Dell, Chair and Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins, added: “Kathy is among a small group of litigators offering a unique combination of experience and skills in the policy, regulatory and enforcement areas. She is truly among the best and the brightest of her generation and will be a terrific addition to our world-class litigation team. She is a gifted strategist and will be a sought-after counselor.”

Ruemmler has substantial experience in white collar criminal defense, SEC enforcement matters, Congressional and internal investigations, and at trial. Prior to her recent turn in government service, Ruemmler spent six years as a federal prosecutor, where she handled a wide variety of criminal investigations and prosecutions ranging from violent crimes to accounting and securities fraud and insider trading. She has tried many cases to verdict both inside the government and in private practice, perhaps most notably as co-lead trial counsel in the high-profile and successful securities fraud prosecution of former Enron CEOs Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling. Ruemmler delivered the government's closing argument in that case and was awarded the Attorney General's Award for Exceptional Service, the Department of Justice's highest award, for her performance.

In Ruemmler's most recent role at the White House, she handled all investigatory matters and managed the defense of civil litigation brought against the White House and its officials. Ruemmler also previously served as Associate Counsel to President William Clinton where she defended the White House against independent counsel and Congressional investigations. At the Department of Justice, while serving as the Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General, she was the Deputy Attorney General's primary advisor on a broad range of criminal and national security enforcement and policy matters.  She also assisted the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General in the management of all of the Department's components including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Attorneys. 

“Kathy is a fantastic lawyer who has great instinct and judgment. She is battle-tested at the highest levels. Quite simply, she is one of the best lawyers with whom I have worked both inside the government and in private practice. I’m thrilled to welcome her back to the firm,” said Alice Fisher, Office Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins in Washington, D.C.

Jimmy Brandt, Office Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins in New York added: “Kathy is a wonderful trial lawyer as well as a tremendous partner and person of great integrity. She is among the hardest-working, incisive and intelligent partners I’ve practiced with. I’m so pleased at the opportunity to work with her again.”

Ruemmler graduated, cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Washington in Seattle in 1993.  She received her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1996, where she served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Georgetown Law Journal.  After graduation, she served as a law clerk to the Hon. Timothy K. Lewis of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. 

About Latham & Watkins

Latham & Watkins is a global law firm with approximately 2,100 lawyers in its offices located in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States, including: Abu Dhabi, Barcelona, Beijing, Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Doha, Dubai, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, Munich, New Jersey, New York, Orange County, Paris, Riyadh, Rome, San Diego, San Francisco, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. For more information on Latham & Watkins, please visit the website at www.lw.com.