Beth George Rejoins Wilson Sonsini's Privacy And Cybersecurity Practice
George Returns to the Firm's San Francisco Office After Serving as Acting General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Defense
PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the premier provider of legal services to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide, announced today that Beth George has rejoined the firm's privacy and cybersecurity practice as a partner in the San Francisco office. George has worked extensively in crisis management, cybersecurity, and national security at the highest levels of government, including the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the U.S. Department of Justice, the White House, and the U.S. Senate.
In January, George was appointed by the President Biden to serve as acting general counsel and principal deputy general counsel of the DoD. In that role, she advised the Secretary of Defense on a significant number of novel and complex legal issues, including the DoD's work to address sexual assault and extremism in its ranks, ethics requirements for incoming senior officials, the cessation of the building of the Southwest border wall, the use of force by the military, and the retrograde and withdrawal from Afghanistan. For her work, she was awarded the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the highest honor the DoD awards to civilians.
Prior to the above appointment, George was a partner in the firm's privacy and cybersecurity practice, where she built the cybersecurity team. She initially joined Wilson Sonsini in August 2017 after serving as deputy general counsel at the DoD, where she advised senior leadership on high-profile policy and oversight matters, and led the department's responses to congressional oversight and investigations. In 2017, George was awarded the Secretary of Defense's Award for Outstanding Public Service, the second-highest award given to civilians.
"Beth has established herself as a leading crisis manager, as well as an expert in national security, privacy, and cybersecurity, through the positions she's held at the highest levels of government and her work with our firm," said Doug Clark, managing partner at Wilson Sonsini. "Clients who work with Beth benefit from her expansive background handling major crises for not only our clients, but also the most senior levels of government. In addition, Beth's colleagues not only benefit from her legal talent, but also her collaborative nature and leadership skills. We are very pleased to welcome her back to the firm."
George's practice focuses on the representation of companies in crises, including complex cybersecurity matters and issues faced by companies when preparing for and responding to cybersecurity breaches. She also advises clients on internal and government investigations, and responses to law enforcement requests for data.
George served as the deputy general counsel (legislation) for the DoD from 2016 to 2017. From 2011 to 2016, she held various roles in the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), including counsel to the Assistant Attorney General. On detail from the DOJ from 2014 to 2015, she served as a professional staff member and counsel to the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. George served as associate counsel in the Office of the White House Counsel from 2015 to 2016, also on detail from the DOJ. At the White House, she led response for the office on cybersecurity and national security matters.
George has been a lecturer on surveillance law and technology at the UC Berkeley School of Law, and she was a senior adjunct fellow for the New York University School of Law's Center for Law and Security and an affiliate at Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC). Earlier in her career, she was a law clerk for the DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel and for Chief Justice Theodore A. McKee of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
George earned her J.D., magna cum laude and Order of the Coif, from the New York University School of Law in 2010. She received a B.A., summa cum laude, from New York University in 2001. She is admitted to practice in California and New York.
About Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
For more than 60 years, Wilson Sonsini's services and legal disciplines have focused on serving the principal challenges faced by the management and boards of directors of business enterprises. The firm is nationally recognized as a leading provider to growing and established clients seeking legal counsel to complete sophisticated corporate and technology transactions; manage governance and enterprise-scale matters; assist with intellectual property development, protection, and IP-driven transactions; represent them in contested disputes; and/or advise them on antitrust or other regulatory matters. With deep roots in Silicon Valley, Wilson Sonsini has offices in Austin; Beijing; Boston; Brussels; Hong Kong; London; Los Angeles; New York; Palo Alto; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Shanghai; Washington, D.C.; and Wilmington, DE. For more information, please visit www.wsgr.com.
SOURCE Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
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