WilmerHale is pleased to announce that Edward C. O’Callaghan, whose distinguished legal career includes several senior roles in the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and a successful career in private practice, has joined the firm. He will be a partner in the Washington DC office, as a senior member of both the Investigations and Criminal Litigation Practice and its Strategic and Crisis Response Group.
Until recently, Mr. O’Callaghan was DOJ’s principal associate deputy attorney general. The “PADAG”—as that role is known—is the principal counselor to the department’s second highest official, the deputy attorney general, and a key advisor to the Attorney General. In that role, Mr. O’Callaghan helped manage 113,000 attorneys, agents, investigators, and administrators, 93 US attorney offices, and all DOJ law enforcement agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, US Marshals Service and the Bureau of Prisons.
During his most recent DOJ tenure, from November 2017 to December 2019, Mr. O’Callaghan also served as acting deputy attorney general, the principal deputy assistant attorney general in DOJ’s National Security Division and the acting assistant attorney general in charge of the National Security Division.
At WilmerHale, Mr. O’Callaghan will represent clients in investigations and provide strategic and crisis counseling in matters that span all three branches of government.
Prior to his recent tenure at DOJ, Mr. O’Callaghan was a partner in the New York City offices of two major law firms, from 2009 to 2017, focusing on regulatory enforcement, government investigations and the defense of white-collar prosecutions.
In private practice, he defended financial institutions, public companies, asset management firms, and individuals in international and domestic regulatory investigations and criminal proceedings.
Mr. O’Callaghan is a veteran of the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, where he served from 1999 to 2008. He headed that Office’s national security unit, investigated and prosecuted major organized crime families, and was lead prosecutor in the international money-laundering and fraud case associated with the UN’s Oil-for-Food program.
He took a break from practicing law in 2008 to serve in Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign as senior advisor for national security and counterterrorism, policy and communications.
“Ed has an extraordinary breadth of experience in both the government and private practice that makes him an exceptional resource for our clients and lawyers across our firm,” said Robert Novick, WilmerHale co-managing partner. “From strategic response and counseling, to investigations, to white collar defense, he brings to the table a remarkable background. We’re thrilled to have him on our team.”
“For attorneys who have devoted much of their careers to senior level public service WilmerHale provides an outstanding platform,” Mr. O’Callaghan said. “Joining a team that highly values such service provides me the opportunity to put that experience to work for WilmerHale clients who face big, complex problems. I am thrilled to draw upon the insights that come from grappling with the tough issues and challenges of senior DOJ jobs to assist WilmerHale clients who so often trust the firm’s lawyers to help them navigate uncertain times.”
Mr. O’Callaghan received his JD from New York University School of Law in 1994 and earned his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University in 1991. He began his career in the Southern District of New York serving as a law clerk in 1995-1996 to the Honorable Kevin Thomas Duffy.
He is admitted to practice in New York and seeking admission by waiver to the District of Columbia bar.