Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP Washington, D.C. partner Jonathan Meyer was confirmed today to serve as General Counsel of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a bipartisan 51-47 vote. Meyer previously served as Deputy General Counsel and Senior Counselor at DHS during the Obama Administration from 2011 to 2016. Meyer joined Sheppard Mullin in 2016.
"Jon has been an outstanding partner here at Sheppard Mullin," said Sheppard Mullin chair Guy Halgren. "We feel fortunate that he has been with us for the past five years. The firm has benefitted immensely from his experience and clients have found his counsel to be right on the mark. We wish Jon all the best in this next, very exciting chapter in his career.”
Commenting on his confirmation, Meyer added, "I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Sheppard Mullin. As I testified to the Senate, I am grateful to my partners here and have considered the firm my professional home. I could not have asked for a more supportive, collegial environment and the clients I have worked with have been incredible. While I will miss the firm and my clients, I am looking forward to my new role.”
President Biden nominated Meyer in April 2021. In May, he testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and in June the Committee approved his nomination in a bipartisan vote.
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 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.