Freshfields Welcomes Strategic Risk and Crisis Management Team in Silicon Valley and Washington DC

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer announced today that four leading crisis and regulatory risk management, cybersecurity, investigations and enforcement lawyers – Beth George and Megan Kayo in Silicon Valley, Janet Kim and Andrew Dockham in Washington DC – have joined the firm’s unparalleled global network of top tier litigators and regulatory lawyers. George will lead the strategic risk and crisis management practice.

“Freshfields’ clients continue to face a changing legal and regulatory environment, creating novel challenges in managing legal and regulatory risk, and these four new partners, when combined with our impressive teams in New York, Washington DC and overseas, will be unmatched in their ability to address these challenges for the benefit of our clients,” observed Sarah K. Solum, Freshfields’ US Managing Partner based in Silicon Valley. “Beth, Megan, Janet and Andrew offer second-to-none, critical experience and will serve as key resources for our clients navigating legal and reputational risks, from cybersecurity breaches to congressional investigations.”

“We are thrilled to have four of the nation’s leading strategic risk and crisis management attorneys joining Freshfields,” said Global Head of Freshfields’ Litigation Practice Sarah Parkes.  “The arrival of this group adds further strength to our team as we help clients navigate a global landscape of complex regulatory challenges and risks.”

George added: “The risks companies face are increasingly global in nature, whether that involves navigating increasing and competing regulatory requirements, cross-border cybersecurity attacks or geopolitical unrest. I am thrilled to join Freshfields, which has an unparalleled breadth and depth to help clients navigate these issues. I look forward to continuing working alongside Megan, Janet and Andrew, and joining up with the rest of the Freshfields team as we tackle our clients’ most pressing business challenges.”

About the team:

• Beth George is one of the top strategic risk and crisis-management lawyers in the country. In addition to her experience in private practice, she has served as Acting General Counsel to the U.S. Department of Defense for the Biden-Harris Administration and held roles with the White House Counsel’s Office and the DOJ, advising high-profile officials on oversight, investigations and litigation.
• Megan Kayo specializes in cybersecurity and privacy issues. She has worked on over 600 data breach incidents, including directing investigations, notifications and interactions with regulators and affected consumers. She represents clients in regulatory investigations of their data security programs and advises on breach mitigation, governance around data security, risk management and business continuity.
• Janet Kim advises companies regarding strategic management of risk, including in regulatory enforcement defense and congressional investigations.  She has served as both a high-ranking congressional investigator and a lawyer for the Executive Branch, most recently in the White House Counsel’s Office as an Associate Counsel to President Biden.
• Andrew Dockham focuses on internal corporate investigations and advising clients on resulting legal and reputational risk. He represents clients in all aspects of congressional investigations, drawing on his 12 years on Capitol Hill conducting complex bipartisan investigations, including as the Staff Director and Chief Counsel for the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

This news follows a series of curated strategic partner additions in the US and around the globe. Last week, Freshfields announced it had brought on board financial regulatory partner David Sewell and finance partner Damian Ridealgh in New York, as well as finance partners Haden Henderson and James Duncan in London.