Yarowsky_Jonathan

Jonathan R. Yarowsky

Partner

  • Co-Chair, Public Policy and Legislative Affairs Practice

Jonathan Yarowsky provides clients with strategic counsel and multi-branch advocacy across a broad array of policy areas, including antitrust, media and telecommunications, healthcare, infrastructure, and intellectual property. Over the course of his career, Mr. Yarowsky has combined his government experience and varied policy background to build a multi-dimensional practice that spans not only legislative and regulatory strategy and advocacy but also congressional investigations and administrative practice and procedure. He leverages the extensive resources and expertise of WilmerHale’s full slate of regulatory and government affairs practices to serve clients and is a core member of the firm’s Antitrust and Competition Group. He joined WilmerHale after holding a number of senior-level positions in federal government, including Special Counsel to the President (former President Clinton), General Counsel of the House Committee on the Judiciary, and Chief Counsel of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Economic and Commercial Law. He is sought out by policymakers, government officials and clients alike for his multi-Branch experience and his deep understanding of how law, policy, and the media work together to shape legal and political outcomes in Washington and abroad.

Mr. Yarowsky rejoined private practice in 1998 after serving as a Special Counsel to the President (former President Clinton), where he advised on legislative and policy matters, including telecommunications, antitrust and crime policy matters. In his work at the White House, among other policy duties, Yarowsky directed the selection and confirmation of federal judicial nominees.

Prior to his position at the White House, Mr. Yarowsky served as General Counsel of the House Committee on the Judiciary. During his five-year tenure there, he supervised a staff of 40 lawyers and was responsible for developing legislative policy agenda and overseeing the work of six subcommittees in the areas of: administrative law; constitutional law and civil rights; crime and criminal justice; economic and commercial law; intellectual property and judicial administration; and international law and immigration. In addition, during this period Mr. Yarowsky also developed a series of antitrust bills that were enacted into law, and developed other legislative initiatives in the areas of telecommunications, financial services, insurance, banking, civil justice and international trade.

Prior to serving in the House, Mr. Yarowsky was Chief Counsel of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Economic and Commercial Law, where he gained extensive experience in antitrust and competition policy, and worked closely with the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission.

Professional Activities

  • Vice Chair, Antitrust Modernization Commission, Joint Presidential/Congressional Appointment, 2004
  • Member, National Commission on Crime, Congressional Appointment, 1995

Recognition

  • Named one of Washington's "Most Influential" Policy Players in the 2022, 2023 and 2024 editions of the Washingtonian's annual list of Washington DC's 500 Most Influential People 
  • Named a 2019 Government Relations Trailblazer (in its inaugural listing) by The National Law Journal
  • Named a "Top Lobbyist" by The Hill each year since 2008
  • Regularly recognized by Chambers USA Guide nationwide for federal government relations.
  • Recommended in the 2016, 2017 and 2018 editions of The Legal 500 United States for government relations and telecoms and broadcast: regulatory

Insights & News

Credentials

  • Education

    • JD, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, 1977

      Chief Comment Editor, UCLA Law Review
    • MS, Cornell University, 1974

    • AB, University of Michigan, 1971

      summa cum laude

      Phi Beta Kappa

  • Admissions

    • District of Columbia

  • Government Experience

    • Executive Office of the President

      The White House

      Special Counsel to the President (former President Clinton)
    • Federal Legislative Branch

      US House of Representatives

      General Counsel, House Committee on the Judiciary
    • Federal Legislative Branch

      US House of Representatives

      Chief Counsel, House Judiciary Subcommittee on Economic and Commercial Law

Credentials

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