Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati announced in recent days that Donald L. Vieira, the former chief of staff of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division (NSD), has joined the firm as a partner in the Washington, D.C. office.
He will focus on regulatory and enforcement issues that relate to foreign investments, export controls, privacy, and data security. In addition, he will work on matters regarding white collar crime and other government investigations.
CEO Steve Bochner was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “Don has broad and deep expertise in a number of areas of prime importance to many of our clients, such as cyber security, export controls, sanctions, foreign investments, and other national security matters related to private enterprises. He is a proven leader in his field and, as the global marketplace continues to expand, Don will be a valuable asset to our highly regarded regulatory practice. It is my pleasure to welcome him to the firm.”
Vieira has served in senior national security positions in the executive and legislative branches of the federal government. In his role as , as NSD chief of staff and counselor to the Assistant Attorney General for National Security the Justice Department, he was responsible for the daily management of the division. In this role, he provided counsel on issues relating to cyber security, export controls and sanctions, counterterrorism, counterintelligence investigations, electronic surveillance, and various other intelligence matters. He also supervised the NSD’s Foreign Investment Review Staff; it is responsible for representing the Justice Department on the Committee for Foreign Investment in the United States. He also managed the NSD’s legislative portfolio and served as the division’s primary liaison to Congress, where he worked closely with that legislative body on issues relating to poilicy.
Before joining the Justice Department as the NSD’s chief of staff, Vieira served as deputy chief counsel to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) and staff director of the HPSCI’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. In addition, he served as a federal prosecutor in the Justice Department’s Counterespionage Section. In this role, he took part in the successful prosecution of multiple espionage and export enforcement matters. He has been the recipient of many awards and honors for his prosecutorial and national security work. Among those he’s received have been from the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Director of National Intelligence, the Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of State, and Congress.
Vieira started his legal career as an associate at Williams & Connolly. There he focused on litigation, white collar criminal defense, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigations.
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati is the premier provider of legal services to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide. The firm has long established roots in Silicon Valley. The firm has offices in Austin; Brussels; Georgetown, DE; Hong Kong; New York; Palo Alto; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Shanghai; and Washington, D.C.