Overview
(October 27, 2025, Washington, DC) – Steptoe LLP is pleased to announce that Carl Hahn, a nationally recognized leader in AI governance, compliance transformation, and legal innovation, has joined the firm as a partner in the Investigations, White-Collar and Compliance (IWC) practice. This expansion reflects the firm’s strategic investment in building a premier team focused on the legal and regulatory challenges of emerging technologies. Other recent additions to the AI-focused team include Matt Galvin, Corey Laplante, Cáitrín McKiernan, Christian Auty, and Michel Paradis.
Carl brings more than three decades of experience in corporate legal leadership, compliance strategy, and emerging technology governance. His pioneering work in AI, including integrating legal advice with data science to deliver strategic value and solving complex business, compliance, investigations challenges, has positioned him at the forefront of legal innovation.
He joins Steptoe after cofounding legal technology company Gentic Global Advisors PLLC with recent Steptoe partner Matt Galvin. Prior to that, Carl served as Vice President and Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer at Northrop Grumman, where he led global compliance operations, embedded analytics into enterprise systems, and helped establish an industry leading AI governance program.
"Carl's first-hand experience working at the intersection of compliance, technology, and governance strengthens our ability to serve clients in one of the most rapidly developing areas," said firm chair Gwen Renigar. "His leadership in AI governance and data-driven compliance strategy aligns with our commitment to innovation in today’s evolving digital environment."
At Steptoe, Carl will help expand the firm's AI-enabled compliance and investigations offerings. He will advise clients on compliance modernization, litigation strategy, and AI governance frameworks, including the development of responsible AI policies and regulatory readiness.
"I'm excited to join Steptoe and help build a next-generation emerging technology, compliance and investigations practice,” said Carl. "The firm's reputation for excellence and its progressive approach to legal innovation make it the ideal platform to deliver strategic, technology-enabled solutions to clients."
Steptoe's highly renowned Investigations and White-Collar and Compliance group has earned consistent recognition for excellence from leading legal directories and industry publications. The practice is ranked among the top in its field by Chambers USA, Chambers Global, and The Legal 500. The firm has also been honored as The National Law Journal's Washington Litigation Department of the Year in White-Collar Crime and has received Law360’s White-Collar "Group of the Year" distinction three times.
Carl earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and his B.A., with honors, from the College of William & Mary.
About Steptoe
In more than 110 years of practice, Steptoe has earned an international reputation for vigorous representation of clients before governmental agencies, successful advocacy in litigation and arbitration, and creative and practical advice in structuring business transactions. Steptoe has more than 500 lawyers and other professional staff across offices in Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.
