About

Steptoe's tradition of public service dates back to 1949, when Louis Johnson, the firm's co-founder, was named US Secretary of Defense under President Harry Truman. Steptoe lawyers and professionals have held a wide range of elected and appointed positions in the US Congress, the executive branch, federal regulatory agencies, and the judiciary. They also have served in prominent positions in various governments and prominent international institutions, including Inter-American Development Bank, Canadian Trade Law Bureau, and the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This experience enables us to provide unique insight into the political, regulatory, and legislative processes, and an intimate familiarity with US and global regulatory bodies and government departments affecting businesses and not-for-profit entities.

Prior senior-level government positions our lawyers and professionals held include:

The White House

• Counsel, Office of the Vice President of the United States

United States Senate

• Republican Counsel and Deputy Staff Director, Committee on Foreign Relations 

• Chief of Staff, US Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) 

• Chief Counsel, Committee on Rules & Administration 

• Counsel, US Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) 

• Professional Staff, Agricultural Committee

• Counsel, US Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senate Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology, and Homeland Security

United States House of Representatives

• Chief of Staff, Congressman Cole and Watkins

• Staff Director, Subcommittee on Human Resources

Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs & International Trade (now Global Affairs Canada)

• Deputy Director, Canada Trade Law Bureau

Department of Agriculture

• Under Secretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory programs; Acting Under Secretary for Rural Economic and Community Development, and Administrator of the Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) 

Department of Commerce/Office of the US Trade Representative

• Deputy US Trade Representative/Ambassador

• General Counsel, US Trade Representative

• Assistant Secretary of Commerce, Import Administration

• Deputy Director of Policy & Strategic Planning and Senior Advisor for Standards and Global Regulatory Policy, Office of the Secretary
• Assistant General Counsel, US Trade Representative
• Senior Director, Technical Barriers to Trade, US Trade Representative
• Assistant Legal Advisor, US Mission to the World Trade Organization
• Acting Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement, Bureau of Industry & Security

Department of Defense

• Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Counternarcotics & Global Threats

Department of the Interior

• Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement

• Counselor, Land and Minerals Management (ASLM) Counselor, Land and Minerals Management (ASLM)

Department of Justice

• Inspector General

• Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division 

• Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division

• Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division

• Deputy Chief, Criminal Section, Civil Rights Division
• Assistant US Attorney
• Assistant US Attorney, Violent Crime Section
• Chief, Violent Crime Section

• Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division

• Assistant US Attorney, District of Columbia 

• Assistant US Attorney, Northern District of Illinois
• Assistant US Attorney, Deputy Chief, Financial Crimes and Special Prosecution Section, US Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois
• Assistant US Attorney, District of Maryland
• Assistant US Attorney, District of Maryland
• Assistant Chief, Criminal Division, US Attorney's Office, District of Maryland
• Assistant US Attorney, Southern District of New York
• Assistant US Attorney, Middle District of North Carolina
• Counsel, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Trial Attorney, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, National Security Division
• Assistant US Attorney, Civil Division, Southern District of Texas
• Assistant US Attorney, Criminal Division, Southern District of Texas
• Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General, National Security Division
• Inaugural Director, KleptoCapture Task Force
• Inaugural Chief, Civil Conduct Task Force, Antitrust Division
• Co-Chief, Money Laundering and Transnational Enterprises Unit, US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York
• Deputy Chief, Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Unit, US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York
• Deputy Chief, Violent Crime Section
• Deputy Chief, Criminal Section, US Attorney's Office, District of Maryland
• Forfeiture Coordinator, Criminal Division, US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York
• Assistant US Attorney, US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York
• Assistant US Attorney, US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York

Department of Labor

• Executive Assistant to the Solicitor of Labor

Department of Treasury

• Attorney and Policy Advisor, Office of Tax Policy
• Attorney Advisor, Office of the Chief Counsel, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)

• Tax Legislative Counsel, Office of Tax Policy

• International Tax Counsel

• Office of Foreign Assets Control

Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs

• Deputy Director, EU Economic Affairs Division

Commodity Futures Trading Commission

• Commissioner, Acting Chairman 

• Director, Division of Market Oversight

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 

• Commissioner

• Branch Chief, Division of Investigations

Inter-American Development Bank

• Chief, Office of Institutional Integrity

Office of Management and Budget

• Associate Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

• Special Counsel

Securities & Exchange Commission

• Associate Director 

• Counsel to SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce

• Senior Special Counsel, Office of the Director of Division of Corporation Finance

• Special Counsel, Office of Real Estate and Commodities