David A. Newman will play an integral role in expanding the firm’s National Security Group and Global Risk + Crisis Management Practice

Morrison & Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce that David A. Newman , who previously served as Associate Counsel to President Obama and in key positions on the staff of the National Security Council, has joined the firm as of counsel.  Among his many roles in the White House, Mr. Newman advised the president and senior staff on high-profile counter-terrorism legal and policy matters and played a vital part in coordinating the Administration’s responses to domestic and international crises.

Mr. Newman will work closely with John P. Carlin, former Assistant Attorney General for National Security, the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) top-ranking national security lawyer. Mr. Carlin joined Morrison & Foerster in January and counsels clients on crisis management strategies as well as issues related to national security, including foreign investment approvals and cybersecurity.

“I collaborated with David on numerous initiatives while we were both in government positions and am delighted that our clients will now benefit from the outstanding credentials that he brings to Morrison & Foerster,” said Mr. Carlin, co-chair of Morrison & Foerster’s National Security Group and chair of its Global Risk + Crisis Management Practice. “David has an extensive breadth of knowledge across national security, crisis management, emerging cyber threats, and sanctions–as well as a strong background in litigation–that make him an invaluable resource.”

Mr. Newman most recently served in the White House Counsel’s Office as special assistant to the president and associate counsel to the president.  Previously, Mr. Newman held multiple positions on the National Security Council staff including as Director for Counter-terrorism and Chief of Staff for the Office of the Ebola Response Coordinator.  While at the White House, he advised on a range of complex matters affecting the federal government, overseeing a broad portfolio that included national security matters, crisis response and preparedness, and data and technology initiatives, as well as criminal justice reform and civil rights litigation.  Prior to his tenure at the White House, Mr. Newman served at DOJ as counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for National Security where he helped manage the National Security Division, regularly coordinated White House and congressional briefings, and counseled senior officials at DOJ and across the government on counter-terrorism, sanctions, and surveillance programs and on matters before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

Before joining DOJ, Mr. Newman was a law clerk for the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the U.S. Supreme Court.  Mr. Newman joins four other Supreme Court clerks already with Morrison & Foerster.  He earned his J.D. from Yale Law School and his B.A. from Columbia University.

“I have heard great things about Morrison & Foerster and am pleased to join a firm that has a strong platform across so many different practices,” said Mr. Newman.  “I look forward to working closely with John again, as well my new colleagues, in helping our clients navigate pressing national security-related challenges ranging from the risks of cyber threats to the implications of proposed transactions involving non-U.S. companies or investors to implementing appropriate compliance programs.”