Former acting US solicitor general Ian Gershengorn has joined Jenner & Block as a partner in its Washington DC office where he will also chair of the firm’s appellate and supreme court practice. Mr Gershengorn, a member of J&B's complex commercial litigation practice, will use his experience in regulatory matters to assist clients across multiple industry sectors.Mr Gershengorn was named acting solicitor general of the United States on 2 June, 2016, an appointment he held until the end of the Obama administration in January 2017.

Legal strategy

He served in the US department of justice for three years previously as the principal deputy solicitor general. Prior to that he started in 2009 as the deputy assistant attorney general in charge of the department of justice’s federal programme branch. In each of these positions, Mr Gershengorn led the development and execution of legal strategy in the department’s most important litigation matters, appearing regularly in the US Supreme Court, the federal courts of appeals, and district courts around the country.

High profile cases

While at the solicitor general’s office, Mr Gershengorn argued more than a dozen cases at the US Supreme Court.  He also supervised the government’s briefing in a range of high-profile cases, including those involving the Affordable Care Act, Dodd-Frank, election law and redistricting, immigration reform, the Fair Housing Act, Title VII, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and same-sex marriage.  While at Federal Programmes, Mr Gershengorn oversaw what The New York Times described in a December 2010 profile as 'one of the most captivating dockets in American jurisprudence.'  He led the district court defense of the Affordable Care Act, personally arguing the principal district court challenges to the constitutionality of the Act.  He also supervised the defense of virtually all federal agencies, the President, cabinet officers, and other government officials in challenged to major regulatory and policy initiatives, including those relating to financial regulation, immigration, Executive Privilege, and national security matters such as drone strikes, CFIUS, and detainees at Guantanamo Bay.  

Rule of law

As attorney general Loretta Lynch stated when Ian was named acting solicitor general, 'Ian Gershengorn has earned a reputation as an exceptionally talented attorney and a gifted defender of the Constitution,' and he has 'displayed his unwavering dedication to public service and his irreproachable commitment to the rule of law.' Commenting on his appointment, Mr Gershengorn said:  'It’s an honour to have the opportunity to return home to Jenner & Block. This is where I began my career in private practice, and where I am very excited to continue the great tradition of zealous, innovative legal advocacy on important business and other policy-related issues affecting a wide array of clients.'

Native American practice

Before joining the department of justice in 2009, Mr. Gershengorn was a partner in Jenner & Block’s Washington, DC office, where he was a member of the firm’s appellate and supreme court practice as well as its litigation department, with substantive concentrations in telecommunications and constitutional law, as well as Native American law.  Mr Gershengorn joined the firm as an associate in 1997 and was elevated to partner in 2001. From 1995 to 1997, Mr Gershengorn served in the department of justice, first as special assistant and counsel to deputy attorney general Jamie  Gorelick, and then as assistant to attorney general Janet Reno.

Distinguished

'We are thrilled to welcome Ian back home to Jenner & Block and very much look forward to sharing with our clients his extraordinary experience and leadership during this next phase of a distinguished career,' said Terrence Truax, the firm’s managing partner. 'Ian’s considerable talents will be a distinct asset as we continue to grow our presence, reach and reputation for assisting clients in their most important and sophisticated litigation matters,' said Craig Martin, chair of the firm’s litigation department.