President Joe Biden today announced his intent to nominate Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP Washington, D.C. partner Jonathan Meyer to serve as General Counsel of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). If confirmed, Meyer will return to the office where he previously served as Deputy General Counsel and Senior Counselor during the Obama Administration from 2011 to 2016.
"The firm is very proud of Jon’s nomination to return to the White House and serve the Biden Administration," said Sheppard Mullin chair Guy Halgren. "Jon is an outstanding attorney with a distinguished background that is hard to match. Clients have benefitted immensely from Jon's sage and experienced counsel. It's not every day that you get the insight of a 20-year veteran of the highest levels of government to help you overcome your most critical challenges."
Commenting on his nomination, Meyer added, "I’m honored and humbled to be nominated for this important role, to rejoin DHS and be a part of this Administration. President Biden has a vision of where he and Vice-President Harris want to take the country — and I am privileged to have been chosen to join in that effort, if confirmed. I am very grateful to Sheppard Mullin for being my professional home for the past four-and-a-half years, and for the collegiality and excellence I have experienced from my colleagues and clients in the Sheppard Mullin family."
In November 2020, Meyer was tapped to help lead the DHS Agency Review Team for then President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris. Prior to joining Sheppard Mullin in 2016, Meyer spent 17 years in government, including as Counsel and Acting Chief Counsel to then Senator Biden, Deputy General Counsel and Senior Counselor in the Department of Homeland Security, and Deputy Assistant Attorney General at the Department of Justice (twice). During his nearly six-year tenure at DHS, he advised on some of the highest profile matters the agency has encountered.
Since joining Sheppard Mullin in 2016 as a partner in the firm’s Government Contracts, Investigations and International Trade practice group, Meyer has counseled clients on their interactions with federal and state government, as well as cybersecurity, homeland security, congressional oversight, and immigration, among other challenges. He has helped clients respond to government investigations, data breaches, new regulatory requirements, and border security issues. He has represented clients before the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, DHS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, among many other agencies, as well as in court.
Earlier in his career, Meyer worked in private practice for seven years as a litigator and corporate lawyer, as well as an aide to Congressman Bill Gradison of Ohio. Originally from Cincinnati, Meyer spent much of his childhood in Jerusalem, Israel, and speaks fluent Hebrew and French. He earned an A.B. from Harvard College, a Master’s in Public Affairs from Princeton University, and a J.D. from Columbia University.