Skip to Main Content

Government Experience

K&L Gates lawyers and policy professionals bring substantial government experience to help clients navigate complex legal, regulatory, enforcement, and public policy issues. Our team includes individuals who have served across federal, state, and local government, including the White House, Congress, executive branch departments, regulatory agencies, enforcement bodies, and state offices. This firsthand understanding of government institutions, legislative processes, agency operations, investigations, and regulatory decision-making informs the counsel we provide to clients across industries. Whether clients are responding to government inquiries, assessing policy developments, engaging with regulators, or managing legal risks shaped by public-sector action, we offer practical guidance grounded in experience across both government and private practice.

The following list highlights our lawyers and policy professionals who have held positions across government agencies, departments, legislative bodies, and state and local offices, reflecting the breadth of public-sector experience our clients can draw upon when facing matters shaped by government action.

Executive Office of the President | The White House
  • Sanjeev Bhasker  —  Office of the National Cyber Director, Acting General Counsel 
  • Amy Carnevale — Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Confidential Assistant to the Director
  • Varu Chilakamarri — Office of the White House Counsel, Attorney-Advisor
  • Tara P. Ganapathy — Office of Management and Budget (OMB), General Counsel’s Office, Senior Counsel
  • Varun M. Jain — Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), Assistant General Counsel
  • W. Dennis Stephens — Office of Presidential Personnel (PPO), White House Aide
  • Andrew M. Wright — Office of the White House Counsel, Associate Counsel to the President and Assistant Counsel to the Vice President
Central Intelligence Agency
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Department of Commerce
  • George P. Barbatsuly — Office of the General Counsel, Attorney
  • Nathaniel B. Bolin — International Trade Administration, International Trade Specialist
  • Alexis T. Gutierrez — National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Supervisory Congressional Affairs Specialist in the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations
  • Michael S. Heard Snow — National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Attorney-Advisor
Department of Defense
Department of Education
Department of Energy
Department of Health and Human Services
  • Darlene S. Davis — Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), (position)
  • Tara P. Ganapathy — Office of General Counsel, Senior Counsel
  • Darrell E. White, II — National Institutes of Health (NIH), Senior Attorney
  • Gabriel T. Scott — Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Health Insurance Specialist (value-based care and Stark Law)
Department of Homeland Security
  • Arim Kim — US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Trade, Regulations and Rulings Directorate, Attorney-Advisor
Department of Justice
  • G. Norman Acker —  US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Acting US Attorney, Civil Chief, Assistant US Attorney
  • Sanjeev Bhasker  —  US Digital Currency Counsel; Assistant US Attorney in the Western District of North Carolina and Southern District of Texas 
  • Varu Chilakamarri — Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division, Chief of Staff for the Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Acting Deputy Associate Attorney General, Appellate and Trial Attorney
  • Michael C. Harper — Criminal Division, Prosecutor in the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) Unit
  • Barry J. Hart — Tax Division, Trial Attorney
  • Clifford C. Histed — US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, Deputy Chief for the Securities and Commodities Fraud Section and Financial Crimes and Special Prosecutions Section
  • David Rybicki — Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, Counselor to the Attorney General
  • Thomas C. Ryan — US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia, Assistant US Attorney
  • Rob Silverblatt — Tax Division, Trial Attorney
  • Allen R. Bachman — Antitrust Division, Economic Analyst
  • Barry M. Hartman — Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Deputy Assistant to the Attorney General
  • Paul F. Hancock — Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, Section Chief, Trial Attorney
  • Donald A. Kaplan — Antitrust Division, Chief of Energy Section, Special Litigation Counsel
  • Christopher L. Nasson — US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, Assistant US Attorney, Securities Fraud Section
  • David J. Raphael — US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Special Assistant United States Attorney
  • Mark A. Rush — US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Assistant US Attorney
Department of Labor
  • Amy L. Groff — US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Investigator
  • Craig E. Leen — US Department of Labor, Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
Department of State
Department of the Interior
  • John W. Northington Jr. — Department of the Interior, Advisor to the Director at the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
Department of Transportation
  • Finch Fulton — Department of Transportation, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy
  • Varun M. Jain — US Department of Transportation, Office of General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel
  • Cliff L. Rothenstein — Federal Highway Administration, Director of Legislative Affairs and Policy Communications
Environmental Protection Agency
  • Cliff L. Rothenstein — Deputy Assistant Administrator; Director, Office of Underground Storage Tanks
  • Endre M. Szalay — Assistant Regional Counsel, Region 10; Senior Water Enforcement Attorney, Region 10
General Services Administration
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Securities and Exchange Commission
US International Trade Commission
  • George C. Summerfield — US International Trade Commission, Staff Attorney with the Office of Unfair Import Investigations

US House of Representatives
  • Scott Aliferis — Legislative Director, Congressman Fred Upton (Michigan)
  • John L. Boos — Counsel, House Committee on Armed Services, and Select Committee on Intelligence to Investigate the Activities of the US Intelligence Community; Counsel and Legislative Assistant to Member
  • Amy Carnevale — Chief of Staff, Legislative Director, Congressman George Nethercutt (Washington)
  • Darrell L. Conner — Legislative Assistant, House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries
  • Daniel F. C. Crowley — General Counsel, House Subcommittee on Oversight and Office of Speaker Newt Gingrich; Minority Counsel, House Committee on House Administration
  • Michael F. Doyle — 14-term Congressman, representing the 18th District of Pennsylvania 
  • Lauren M. Flynn — Legislative Assistant and Legislative Correspondent, Congressman Greg Walden (Oregon)
  • Finch Fulton – Legislative Correspondent, Congressmen Jim McCrery (LA-04) and Congressman John Fleming (LA-04)
  • Tara P. Ganapathy — Investigative Counsel, Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, House Committee on Oversight and Reform
  • J. Hayden Haynes — Chief of Staff, Speaker Mike Johnson (Louisiana)
  • William A. Kirk — Staff Director, Subcommittee on Oversight, House Ways and Means Committee; Advisor, Congressman John Conyers (Michigan)
  • Stavroula E. Lambrakopoulos — Legislative Director and staff, Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Competitiveness
  • Matthew H. Leggett — Agriculture Committee, Legislative Assistant; Legislative Counsel, Congressman Tim Murphy (Pennsylvania)
  • Tim L. Peckinpaugh —  House Science Committee,  Professional Staff Aide; Legislative Assistant, Congressman Sid Morrison (Washington)
  • Emanuel L. Rouvelas — Chief Counsel, Foreign Commerce Subcommittee and Merchant Marine Subcommittee
  • Mark Ruge — Deputy Staff Director, Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee; Chief of Staff, Congressman Bob Davis (Michigan)
  • David J. Skillman — Deputy Chief of Staff and Counsel, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (Oregon)
  • Andrew H. Tabler — House Armed Services Committee, Research Assistant
  • Joseph B. Trahern — Chief of Staff, Representatives Bob Matsui and Doris Matsui (California)
  • Andrew M. Wright — Staff Director, Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
US Senate
  • Leonard Bickwit — Legislative Director, Senator John Glenn, Ohio
  • Michael W. Evans — Chief Counsel and Deputy Staff Director, Senate Finance Committee
  • Scott J. Gelbman — Legislative Aide, Senator Chuck Schumer (New York)
  • Finch Fulton – Legislative Aide, Defense, Senator Jeff Sessions (Alabama)
  • Emily K. Lavery  — Staff Director, Finance Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure; Senior Policy Advisor,  Senator Tim Scott (South Carolina)
  • Matthew H. Leggett — Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Minority Chief Counsel; Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Majority Chief Counsel; Legislative Correspondent, Senator Jesse Helms (North Carolina)
  • Marne Marotta — Staffer, Senator John Barrasso (Wyoming), Senator Kelly Ayotte (New Hampshire); Scott Brown, Massachusetts
  • Scott C. Nelson — Deputy Chief of Staff, Senator Byron Dorgan (North Dakota)
  • Cliff L. Rothenstein — Processional Staff, Environment and Public Works Committee
  • Laurie B. Purpuro — Office of Senator Abraham, Deputy Chief of Staff
  • David Rybicki — Chief Counsel, Senate Judiciary Committee
  • John M. Sylvester — Staff Assistant, Senate Judiciary Committee
  • James A. Sartucci — Legislative Director, Senator Trent Lott (Mississippi); Staff Member, Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
  • Kari L. Vander Stoep — Legislative Assistant, Senator Slade Gorton
  • Jake Bernstein — Washington State Attorney General’s Office, Assistant Attorney General
  • Limo T. Cherian — Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Assistant Attorney General
  • David H. Ehrenwerth — Pennsylvania Department of Justice, Assistant Attorney General; Pennsylvania Crime Commission, Assistant Counsel
  • Travis N. Gery — Pennsylvania Commissioner of Professional and Occupational Affairs
  • Katherine Goodrich — Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, Deputy General Counsel; Policy Advisor
  • Paul F. Hancock — State of Florida, Deputy Attorney General
  • Barry M. Hartman — Deputy General Counsel to Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornburgh; Chief Counsel, Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry
  • Clifford C. Histed — Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Financial Crime Unit, Assistant Attorney General
  • Stavroula E. Lambrakopoulos — New Jersey Governor’s Office, Director of Washington Office
  • Craig E. Leen — City Attorney and General Counsel, City of Coral Gables, Florida; Chief of the Federal Litigation Section and Chief of the Appeals Section as Assistant County Attorney for the Miami-Dade County Attorney’s Office
  • Austin D. McCarty — Legislative Director, Texas Legislature, Representatives John Raney, Marisa Márquez, and Fred Brown
  • Scott C. Nelson — Economic Policy Advisor to Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber
  • Stephen L. Palmer — Massachusetts House Ways and Means Committee, General Counsel
  • Mark D. Pomfret — Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Special Assistant District Attorney
  • David J. Raphael — Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Deputy Attorney General, Environmental Crime; Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Chief Counsel
  • Ellery R. Richardson — Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Senior Counsel; Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Assistant General Counsel
  • Mark A. Rush — Pennsylvania House and Senate Republican Caucus, Counsel
  • Thomas C. Ryan — Special counsel to the Pennsylvania State Senate Special Committee
  • R. Timothy Weston — Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, Assistant Attorney General; Associate Deputy Secretary
  • Mark H. Wittow — State of Alaska, Special Assistant Attorney General
Return to top of page

Email Disclaimer

We welcome your email, but please understand that if you are not already a client of K&L Gates LLP, we cannot represent you until we confirm that doing so would not create a conflict of interest and is otherwise consistent with the policies of our firm. Accordingly, please do not include any confidential information until we verify that the firm is in a position to represent you and our engagement is confirmed in a letter. Prior to that time, there is no assurance that information you send us will be maintained as confidential. Thank you for your consideration.

Accept Cancel