Doug Emhoff Joins Willkie Following Second Gentleman Stint (1)

Doug Emhoff, the former US second gentleman, has joined Willkie Farr & Gallagher as a partner to resume his career as a trial lawyer.

He will split his time between Los Angeles and New York, the firm said in a statement. Emhoff will advise on business, investigations, and litigation, according to Willkie.

By joining the fourth Big Law firm of his three-decade career, Emhoff takes a seat at one of the nation’s 50 highest grossing law firms. He previously worked at Venable, DLA Piper and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman.

His hire grows out of Emhoff’s work with several of the firm’s lawyers over the course of his career, including former Venable partners who joined Willkie in 2021 to found the firm’s Los Angeles office, said Thomas Cerabino, one of the firm’s two chairmen.

“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.

In Emhoff, the firm has added a lawyer whose clients have included Walmart Inc. and Merck & Co. He represented Dolarian Capital in a 2011 lawsuit related to the arms dealer’s sales to the Afghan military, court records show.

“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.

Willkie collected $1.5 billion in revenue in 2023 and $3.8 million in profits per equity partner, according to figures compiled by the American Lawyer.

Lawyers and employees of Willkie contributed $317,690 to the campaign of Emhoff’s wife, former Vice President Kamala Harris, in the 2024 election cycle, according to Open Secrets, a non-profit group that tracks political spending. Willkie’s donations to President Donald Trump’s campaign amounted to $15,539.

Feldman donated $3,300 to Harris, Federal Election Commission records show.

The New York Times earlier reported Emhoff’s hire.