The law firm of Perkins Coie recently announced that Todd Hinnen, a senior member of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) National Security Division, has joined as a partner in the Washington, D.C. office.
In his role at the DOJ, Hinnen served in the National Security Division as both Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Law and Policy and Acting Assistant Attorney General. In this capacity, he managed all aspects of the division, which employed 320 attorneys.
Hinnen previously worked as a prosecutor in the Department’s Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section, as a Director in the National Security Council’s Directorate for Combating Terrorism, and as Chief Counsel to then-Senator Joseph Biden. His many responsibilities regarding national security and law enforcement issues have included supervising the federal government’s major terrorism and espionage related investigations and prosecutions. He has represented the DOJ on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, and testified before Congress on a variety of intelligence issues, including expiring Patriot Act authorities.
Perkins Coie partner Michael Sussmann was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “Todd is an exceptionally talented lawyer who will bring a wealth of experience at the very highest levels to our clients facing challenging criminal and national-security issues.”
Sussmann is a nationally recognized expert in Internet law. He has an established practice focusing on privacy, technology, and national-security issues.
In 2002, Hinnen worked together with Sussmann in DOJ’s Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section, where Hinnen prosecuted a number of high-profile cases, including the first trial of an individual alleged to have provided material support to terrorism over the Internet and the convictions of several high-profile state and federal officials regarding a plot to prevent voters from reaching the polls.
Hinnen will join Perkins Coie’s growing Privacy and Security Practice, counseling clients on criminal and national security investigations, regulatory compliance, and interactions with law enforcement, national security, homeland security, and intelligence agencies. He will also counsel companies on mergers, acquisitions, and other foreign investments in domestic entities that impact national security. As Acting Assistant Attorney General with the DOJ’s National Security Division, Hinnen was responsible for reviewing transactions such as these as a member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.
Hinnen was quoted as saying: “Effective national security increasingly requires close collaboration and communication between government agencies and the private sector. I look forward to using my government experience to assist private companies interacting with the law-enforcement and national-security communities. Perkins Coie has a long, distinguished history of representing technology and defense industry leaders in such matters. This is a great fit for me.”
Hinnen drafted legislation regarding national security and criminal justice policies while serving as Chief Counsel to then-Senator Joseph Biden. He prepared Justice Elena Kagan for her confirmation hearing for the position of Solicitor General as a member of the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition team. Before that, Hinnen served under President George W. Bush as a director in the National Security Council’s Directorate for Combating Terrorism.
Perkins Coie has over 800 lawyers in 18 offices across the United States and in China.