Lynne Halbrooks, the former acting inspector general for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), has joined Holland & Knight as a partner in its Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia offices. She served as DOD’s acting inspector general from 2011 to 2013.
Ms. Halbrooks, who joined DOD as its first independent general counsel in 2009, served as the principal deputy inspector general from 2009 to 2011 and 2013 to 2015. She was previously general counsel for the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction and spent four years with the U.S. Senate as the deputy sergeant at arms and general counsel to the Office of the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper. Ms. Halbrooks also served as deputy director in the Executive Office for United States Attorneys and as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
“Holland & Knight has a history of hiring outstanding attorneys such as Lynne who have served with great distinction in government,” said John Hogan, leader of the firm’s litigation section. “Her experience at the inspector general’s office and as a federal prosecutor will enhance our global litigation practice, and we are honored to have her join us.”
“We are delighted to welcome Lynne to Holland & Knight. She is an exceptional attorney who brings great integrity, intellect and judgment to the firm,” said John L. Brownlee, chair of Holland & Knight’s national white collar defense and investigations practice. “Lynne is a superb addition to our international enforcement team, and her experience and decisive advice will be invaluable to our many successful corporate and government contractor clients.”
Throughout her federal career, Ms. Halbrooks advised her government clients on ethics issues, fiscal and appropriations law, employment law, data custody and privacy issues, and a variety of other legal issues. She also has experience counseling investigators and auditors on substantive legal areas surrounding their work. She has comprehensive knowledge of OIG investigations and audits, mandatory disclosures, suspension and debarments, Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR and DFAR), False Claims Act matters in defense and healthcare, procurement fraud, contractor whistleblower protections, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and official misconduct cases.
“As a former government lawyer transitioning to private practice, I couldn’t have chosen a better firm than Holland & Knight, where I will have the opportunity to be an immediate contributor to its highly regarded government contracts and white collar defense and investigations practices,” said Ms. Halbrooks. “I look forward to providing advice and strategy to my new colleagues and hands-on support to the firm’s clients for most of their investigation and compliance needs.”
Ms. Halbrooks received her law degree from Marquette University Law School and a B.A. degree from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. After law school, she clerked for the Minnesota Supreme Court.
Source: www.hklaw.com
