Wiley Rein LLP, sometimes shortened to Wiley, is an American

law firm A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise consumer, clients (individuals or corporations) about their legal rights and Obligation, respon ...

based in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

With 260 lawyers, the firm represents clients in complex regulatory, litigation, and transactional matters. Many of the firm's lawyers and public policy advisors have held high-level positions in the White House, on Capitol Hill, and in federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and the

U.S. Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the U.S. government that oversees the domestic enforcement of federal laws and the administration of justice. It is equi ...

. The firm operates in industries including energy, manufacturing, defense, aerospace, intelligence, information technology, professional services, telecommunications, health care, architectural and engineering (A&E), and construction.

History

Wiley opened its doors with 39 attorneys in 1983 as Wiley, Johnson & Rein. In 1986, the firm, then known as Wiley & Rein, became Wiley Rein & Fielding as

Richard E. Wiley Richard E. Wiley (born July 20, 1934) is an American attorney and former government official. He served as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from March 8, 1974, to October 12, 1977. A member of the Republican Party (United S ...

, former

Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission The following is a list of the chairs of the Federal Communications Commission. List References

{{Federal Communications Commission Chairmen of the Federal Communications Commission, * Lists of chairpersons, Federal Communications Commi ...

, and Bert W. Rein, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs, were joined on the masthead by Fred F. Fielding, former

Counsel A counsel or a counsellor at law is a person who gives advice and deals with various issues, particularly in legal matters. It is a title often used interchangeably with the title of ''lawyer''. The word ''counsel'' can also mean advice given ...

to President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

. With Fielding's return to the White House as Counsel to President George W. Bush on February 1, 2007, the firm reverted to the name Wiley Rein LLP. In 2020, Wiley Rein announced a new brand identity, and is now known as Wiley. The firm's legal name remains Wiley Rein LLP. In December 2014, Wiley acquired McBee Strategic Consulting, now known as SIGNAL Group, as a wholly owned subsidiary. The firms operate separately, but in total they have over 275 legal, lobbying, and communications professionals, including more than 240 attorneys at Wiley Rein, and 40 advocacy and communications professionals at McBee Strategic. During the 2020

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, the company received between $5 million and $10 million in federally backed small business loans from City National Bank as part of the

Paycheck Protection Program The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a $953-billion business loan program established by the United States federal government during the First presidency of Donald Trump, Trump administration in 2020 through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and ...

. The group stated it would allow them to retain 493 jobs. Peter Zeughauser stated in ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...

'' that "it's troubling, and it's inappropriate" that large law firms took the loans, comparing it to other firms where partners reduced their pay; WSJ noted Rein and others have average partner profits above $1.2 million per year and make over $100 million per year. In June 2020, the firm indicated they were moving into a new "trophy office building" built for

Tishman Speyer Tishman Speyer is an American multinational corporation based at 45 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan. The conglomerate invests in high-profile real estate properties, has developed multiple buildings around the world, and has owned famou ...

and designed by REX.

Notable alumni

* Brendan Carr — Current

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...

Commissioner appointed by Donald J. Trump * Fred F. Fielding — former White House Counsel; former named-partner of the firm; formerly served as

Counsel to the President The White House Counsel is a senior staff appointee of the president of the United States whose role is to advise the president on all legal issues concerning the president and their administration. The White House counsel also oversees the Off ...

and as a commissioner on the

9/11 Commission The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, commonly known as the 9/11 Commission, was set up on November 27, 2002, to investigate all aspects of the September 11 attacks, the deadliest terrorist attack in world history ...

* Thomas B. Griffith — Circuit Judge on the

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* Scott S. Harris — Chief legal counsel of the

Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all Federal tribunals in the United States, U.S. federal court cases, and over Stat ...

; 20th

clerk of the court A court clerk (British English: clerk to the court or clerk of the court ; American English: clerk of the court or clerk of court ) is an officer of the court whose responsibilities include maintaining records of a court and administering oaths t ...

Sarah Isgur Sarah Maureen Isgur (born November 9, 1982) is an American attorney, political commentator, and former spokesperson at the United States Department of Justice. In 2016, Isgur was a fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics. Isgur was deputy ...

— former spokesperson at the

US Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the U.S. government that oversees the domestic enforcement of federal laws and the administration of justice. It is equ ...

* Kevin J. Martin — former chairman of the

Julie Menin Julie Menin (born October 6, 1967) is a member of the New York City Council from District 5. Before she was elected to this position, she served as an American attorney, civil servant, non-profit executive, professor and small business owner. In ...

— member of the

New York City Council The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City in the United States. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The council serves as a check against the mayor in a mayor-council government mod ...

* Matthew S. Petersen— Member of the

Federal Election Commission The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent agency of the United States government that enforces U.S. campaign finance laws and oversees U.S. federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Campaign ...

appointed by

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

* Margaret A. Ryan — Judge on the

Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and administer justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law. Courts gene ...

Practices

Major practice groups include Telecom, Media & Technology; Election Law & Government Ethics; Government Contracts; Insurance; Intellectual Property; International Trade; Environment & Product Regulation; Litigation; FTC Regulation; National Security; Privacy, Cyber & Data Governance; and White Collar Defense & Government Investigations.

Pro bono and community service

Wiley is recognized for its service to the local community and pro bono efforts, including negotiating a landmark health-care-related settlement on behalf of inmates at a Virginia women's prison, a settlement with the Baltimore Police Department in a civil rights case, and teaching high school students at the Academies at Anacostia. The law firm's charitable initiatives have included participation in the Lawyers Have Heart 10K Race, 5K Run & Walk for the American Heart Association, guest bartending to raise money for D.C.'s Legal Aid Society, and a Thanksgiving basket drive to benefit Bread for the City. In 2013, the firm initiated a pro bono awards program, and in 2014, Theodore A. Howard was named a full-time pro bono partner. Wiley is regularly ranked among the top ten in Washington Business Journal's Corporate Philanthropy List (Midsize Companies by Giving in Greater D.C.).

Awards and rankings

* ''Chambers Global'' (2019) * ''Chambers USA'' (2019) * ''Legal 500 US'' (2019) * ''National Law Journal's'' D.C. Litigation Department of the Year for Insurance (2014) * ''Law360's'' "Practice Groups of the Year" (2018): Telecommunications, Government Contracts, and International Trade * ''Washingtonian'' Best Lawyers (2018) * ''U.S. News'' Best Lawyers (2019) In the 2020 Vault Rankings, Wiley was ranked as the 31st best law firm to work for in Washington, D.C. ''Chambers USA'' ranks Wiley's media, telecom, insurance, and white collar defense groups as leading practices in Washington, D.C., and its government contracts, election law, trade, and privacy practices among the best nationwide.

References

External links

*{{Official website, https://www.wiley.law/ Economy of Fairfax County, Virginia McLean, Virginia Law firms established in 1983 Law firms based in Washington, D.C. 1983 establishments in Washington, D.C.