September 19, 2024 – WASHINGTON, DC: Betsy Henthorne, an experienced litigator and former senior US Department of Justice (DOJ) official, has joined Jenner & Block as a Partner in its Washington, DC office. Betsy, who clerked for Justice Kagan on the US Supreme Court and Chief Judge Srinivasan on the DC Circuit, adds more than a decade of government and litigation experience to the firm’s Litigation Department.
“Betsy has honed her litigation and crisis management skills while tackling the most challenging issues faced by the government or by her private practice clients,” said Co-Managing Partners Katya Jestin and Randy Mehrberg. “Her ability to navigate complex legal challenges along with her proven record of guiding critical policy initiatives will be invaluable to our clients across multiple industries.”
A highly regarded public servant, Betsy was most recently Chief of Staff and Deputy Associate Attorney General at the DOJ, serving as a key advisor to the third-ranking DOJ official, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. In that role, Betsy managed complex, high-stakes litigation, ran significant policymaking and implementation processes across the government, and helped supervise all the Department’s civil litigating divisions and grantmaking offices, among other offices. She worked closely with Associate Attorney General Gupta to manage numerous crises, including the Justice Department’s response to and report on the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Other notable work during her tenure includes litigation and policymaking related to immigration, reproductive rights, the opioid crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic response, student loans, and Native American rights.
“We are so excited to welcome Betsy Henthorne to Jenner & Block,” said DC Office Managing Partner Lindsay Harrison. “She is an experienced and deeply respected litigator who has spent years working at the highest levels of the Justice Department and the judiciary. Her ability to guide clients through complex matters in any forum, from the court room to the boardroom, sets her apart and makes her a vital asset to industry-leading entities facing an ever-evolving litigation and regulatory landscape.”
Betsy’s time at the DOJ was preceded by four years at one of the nation’s premier trial boutiques, where she represented pharmaceutical companies, a Fortune 150 energy company, and a Native American tribe in high-stakes, bet-the-company litigation headed for trial. While there, Betsy successfully led significant civil and criminal matters concerning antitrust, consumer fraud, environmental law, Native American law and sovereign immunity, and the separation of powers. Her trial experience includes serving as the team lead for a criminal price-fixing case brought by the DOJ’s Antitrust Division. Betsy was also a key member of the team that won a complete defense verdict in a multi-state consumer fraud class-action trial.
“I’m thrilled to join Jenner & Block’s distinguished team of litigators,” said Betsy. “I have long admired Jenner’s deep bench, its holistic approach to solving clients’ most pressing issues, and its strong commitment to living its core values. I am excited to be part of this highly skilled team.”
Betsy received her JD from Georgetown University Law Center, and her BA from Brown University. Prior to and during law school, she worked for Justice Kagan in a variety of roles at Harvard Law School, the Office of the Solicitor General, and the United States Supreme Court. Following law school, Betsy clerked for Judge Woods on the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, Chief Judge Srinivasan on the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, and then returned to the Supreme Court to clerk for Justice Kagan.
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