Paul Rosen is a partner in the firm’s White Collar & Regulatory Enforcement, Privacy & Cybersecurity, and Government Contracts groups. Paul is a former federal prosecutor and was most recently the chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security.
With more than a decade of legal, policy, and management experience across all three branches of government, Paul represents corporate and individual clients in connection with government investigations and enforcement actions, internal investigations, cybersecurity and data privacy, immigration and border-related issues, national security, and litigation. Paul also counsels clients on all aspects of managing a crisis to mitigate legal exposure in criminal, civil, regulatory, administrative, transactional, and Congressional matters.
Paul served in several senior leadership roles within the DHS, including most recently as chief of staff. In this role, on behalf of DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson, Paul directly managed operational, organizational, policy, and legal needs for the third-largest department of government, with 230,000 employees, a $60 billion budget, and 22 component agencies. Among these were the National Protection and Programs Directorate, Customs and Border Protection, Secret Service, Transportation Security Administration, ICE, Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and U.S. Coast Guard, among others.
Paul oversaw and managed DHS’s response to some of the most sensitive and complex challenges facing the government, including civil and criminal investigations and litigation, regulatory matters, Congressional oversight, public relations, and overall crisis management. He advised the secretary and the White House on counterterrorism; cyber and data security; data breach incident response; border, aviation, and maritime security; trade and customs violations; immigration and visa policies; nuclear weapons detection; national security risks associated with foreign investments in connection with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States; federal disaster response; critical infrastructure; financial crimes; and other criminal law enforcement matters.
Paul worked closely with technology and social media companies to combat terrorist online recruitment efforts and use of encrypted communication platforms. He also participated in a number of senior international delegations to negotiate agreements on government initiatives and regularly briefed Congress. In recognition of his work, the secretary awarded Paul the DHS Distinguished Service Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the secretary to recognize exceptional and transformational public service. He is also a recipient of the Director’s Distinguished Service Award from the Secret Service.
Paul has worked extensively with other federal agencies, including the Departments of Justice, Treasury, and Defense, the FBI, and intelligence agencies on some of the most highly publicized global security and terrorist threats, including:
- Significant cybersecurity events, such as Russia’s interference with the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, the hack of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and attacks on critical infrastructure.
- The government’s response to the surge of unaccompanied children and families crossing the U.S. border in 2014.
- The Orlando, Brussels, Chattanooga, San Bernardino, Paris, and Egypt Air terror attacks.
- Manned and unmanned aerial vehicles penetrating restricted airspace in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere.
- National security threats posed by the Zika and Ebola virus outbreaks.
- The investigation and extradition of high profile international fugitives from a variety of countries.
- The threat posed by ISIS and U.S. efforts to disrupt their activities overseas and in the United States.
At DHS, Paul also served as deputy chief of staff and senior counselor, and chief of staff at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In addition to his work on national and border security, Paul served as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and in the Department of Justice Criminal Fraud Section from 2010 to 2013. He prosecuted financial crimes, including securities fraud, bank and mortgage fraud, FCPA, money laundering, insider trading, corruption, bankruptcy fraud, and government and procurement fraud pertaining to both corporate and individual defendants. During this time, he:
- Led an international FCPA investigation of a Fortune 100 global technology company for alleged payment of bribes to foreign government officials across four continents.
- Led the investigation of a $28 million real estate developer mortgage fraud scheme concerning activities that contributed to the 2008 financial crisis.
- Co-led the criminal investigation into potential insider trading and securities fraud of individuals and a Fortune 200 technology company.
- Co-led the investigation and prosecution of individuals for masterminding a sophisticated nationwide foreclosure-rescue and bankruptcy fraud scheme.
- Co-led the investigation of a major bank failure, which after trial resulted in convictions for conspiracy, securities fraud, and other corporate fraud.
In recognition of his work, in 2012 the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency recognized Paul with its Investigations Award for Excellence.
From 2006 to 2009, Paul served as counsel to then-U.S. Senator Joseph R. Biden, advising on civil and criminal law policies and legislation confronting the Senate Judiciary Committee, including intellectual property rights, antitrust and bankruptcy law, narcotics and firearms laws and the federal sentencing guidelines. Previously, he was a law clerk to the Honorable Gary Allen Feess, U.S. District Judge for the Central District of California.
Paul is a guest lecturer and speaker at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and at the University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law and undergraduate college. He is also a Homeland Security Project fellow at Harvard's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He is a member of the California Bar and the Pacific Council on International Policy.
Affiliations
Admitted to practice: California, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Admitted in California Only; Practicing under the Supervision of D.C. Bar Members.
Awards
- Distinguished Service Medal, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2017
- Director’s Distinguished Service Award, U.S. Secret Service, 2017
- Investigative Award of Excellence, Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, 2012
Professional Activities and Memberships
- California Bar, Member
- Pacific Council on International Policy, Member
- Guest Lecturer, "Mitigating and Managing a Crisis," John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, 2017
- Harvard's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Fellow, The Homeland Security Project
- Federal Bar Association, Member
Speeches & Presentations
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"What Trump Means for Business," Crowell & Moring Webinar
(May 24, 2017).
Presenters: Angela B. Styles, W. Scott Douglas, Paul M. Rosen, Evan D. Wolff, Thomas A. Lorenzen, Christine M. Clements, Daniel Cannistra, and David B. Blair.
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"Hurry-Up Offense: Keeping Pace with Information Security and Privacy," OOPS 2017, Crowell & Moring's 33rd Annual Ounce of Prevention Seminar, Washington, D.C.
(May 4, 2017).
Presenters: Peter B. Miller, Paul M. Rosen, Evan D. Wolff, and Kate M. Growley.
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"Information Sharing," Seatrade Cruise Global, Fort Lauderdale, FL
(March 2017).
Speaker: Paul M. Rosen.
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"Cyber Security," Seatrade Cruise Global, Fort Lauderdale, FL
(March 2017).
Speaker: Paul M. Rosen.
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"Legal Quick Hit: Hacking, Encryption, and Privacy: Where Will a Trump Administration Go?" Association of Corporation Counsels Teleconference
(March 2017).
Speaker: Paul M. Rosen.
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"Emerging Threats and Opportunities in Cyber Security: Government and Business Deploy Policies and Infrastructure to Counter Threats," Imperial Capital Security Investor Conference, New York, NY
(December 2016).
Speaker: Paul M. Rosen.
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"Swearing-in and Remarks," United States Memorial Holocaust Museum, Washington, D.C
(November 2016).
Speaker: Paul M. Rosen.
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"The Insider Threat: Managing Risk in the Digital Age," Luncheon and Roundtable Discussion with Corporate Chief Information Security Officer, New York, NY
(October 2016).
Speaker: Paul M. Rosen.
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"Oath of Allegiance and Remarks," Special Naturalization Ceremony, United States Memorial Holocaust Museum, Washington, D.C.
(June 2016).
Speaker: Paul M. Rosen.
Publications
Client Alerts & Newsletters
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"DoD Meets Contractors Half-Way at Industry Information Day,"
Government Contracts Bullet Points
(June 28, 2017).
Contacts: Evan D. Wolff, Paul M. Rosen, Maida Oringher Lerner, Kate M. Growley
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"Summary of the PRC Cybersecurity Law,"
Privacy Law Alert
(May 31, 2017).
Contacts: Jeffrey L. Poston, Paul M. Rosen, Evan D. Wolff, Brandon C. Ge
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"President Issues Executive Order to Strengthen Cybersecurity of Federal Networks and U.S. Critical Infrastructure,"
(May 12, 2017).
Contacts: Evan D. Wolff, Paul M. Rosen, Maida Oringher Lerner, Peter B. Miller, Justin Kingsolver
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