Following second gentleman stint, Doug Emhoff joins private law firm

The former US second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, has returned to his trial lawyer career and became a partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

According to the firm's announcement, he will divide his time between New York and Los Angeles, according to Fox News.

Emhoff has sat down at one of the fifty highest-grossing law firms in the country after joining the fourth Big Law firm in his thirty-year career.

Before joining Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, he was an employee at Venable and DLA Piper.

Reason for the Hire

One of the two chairmen of the firm, Thomas Cerabino, indicated that Emhoff's hiring stems from his relationships with other attorneys at the firm.

Those relationships include former Venable colleagues who helped build Willkie's Los Angeles office in 2021.

“With our recent expansion on the West Coast and Doug’s exceptional reputation as a trusted advisor and lawyer, he fits perfectly into our continued growth strategy,” Cerabino said in an email.

Previous Contacts

Walmart Inc. and Merck & Co. are among the clients who previously recieved counsel from Emhoff.

Court records indicate that he was the attorney for Dolarian Capital in a 2011 lawsuit concerning the munitions dealer's sales to the Afghan military.

“His deep knowledge of global markets, policy, and the law will be an invaluable resource,” Matthew Feldman, also a Willkie chairman, said in a statement.

According to data compiled by the American Lawyer, Willkie generated $1.5 billion in revenue in 2023 and $3.8 million in profits per equity partner.

The Firm's Allegiance

In the 2024 election cycle, the campaign of Emhoff's wife, former Vice President Kamala Harris, received $317,690 in contributions from lawyers and employees of Willkie, according to Open Secrets.

Open Secrets is a non-profit organization that monitors political expenditures. It also revealed that Willkie contributed $15,539 to President Donald Trump's campaign.

According to Federal Election Commission records, Feldman contributed $3,300 to Harris.