There has been a recent flurry of high-profile companies tapping former prominent Trump administration attorneys as their legal leaders. This may be a savvy business move in an era where access to the government and “Washington fluency” appear more vital than ever.
McCarter partner and former DOJ antitrust attorney Robin Crauthers spoke with Law360 about this surge of former Trump administration attorneys taking GC and CLO roles at high-profile companies.
“Companies like the insight, access and signals that hiring ex-government represent,” Robin said. “As regulatory, enforcement and even litigation become an increasing focus, companies want to be in the best position they can be for their shareholders and stakeholders.”
Robin said that “Washington fluency” has become a core competency for chief legal officers, especially for larger tech companies.
“Steps to hire people who understand internal decision-making when they’re at the agencies — they have that experience now, and they know how it works, and they know how to influence those changes — is just good business,” she said. “This is smart corporate governance, it’s smart stakeholder caretaking, it’s smart company positioning.”