Overview

He is the best in the business. There is no one who comes close to his ability in Congressional investigations.” - Chambers’ Crisis & Risk Management, 2022

Reginald “Reg” Brown is a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. He has a vibrant and diverse crisis and governmental investigations practice, and regularly counsels industry-leading clients facing complex and significant regulatory, enforcement and reputational matters. Chambers’ reviewers in 2024 say Reg’s “vast connections, wealth of experience and laser-focused strategic guidance is unparalleled in Washington.” He is ranked by Chambers as Band 1 in both Crisis Management and Congressional Investigations. Reg is also ranked by Chambers as a leading financial institutions lawyer.

Reg has assisted leading institutions and high-profile individual clients with more than a hundred-fifty congressional inquiries and hearings, as well as many federal, state and global crisis avoidance and mitigation matters.

Reg also leads teams of lawyers responding to some of the most challenging investigations and inquiries led by departments and agencies within the Administration, Congress, and numerous State Attorneys General. Many of his clients are among the world’s most prominent banks, hedge funds, asset managers, private equity and venture firms, energy companies, technology and social media firms, healthcare institutions and government contractors, as well as individual CEOs and high-ranking public officials. Reg has also assisted prospective and incumbent high-level public officials in connection with complex ethics agreements and governmental controversies.

Prior to joining Kirkland, Reg was a partner at another major law firm for over a decade, where he served as chairman of the firm’s Financial Institutions Group and vice chair of the Crisis Management and Strategic Response Group. He previously served in the White House Counsel’s office, where he was the White House’s principal legal liaison to the Departments of Treasury and Housing and Urban Development, as well as many independent financial services agencies. In this role, he provided counsel on a wide variety of issues. Among other things, Reg served as a counselor for the White House Office of Political Affairs, Presidential Personnel Office and the National Economic Council.

Prior to his federal government service, Reg served as assistant to the CEO and vice president of corporate strategy at Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, and as the deputy general counsel to former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Federated States of Micronesia early in his professional career.

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Recognition

Named to Washington, D.C.’s 500 Most Influential People by the Washingtonian Magazine in 2023 and 2024

Recognized by The Legal 500 United States for Government – State Attorneys General in 2023–2024; Government Relations in 2022; Financial Services Litigation in 2022–2024; and Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense in 2021 and 2024

Recognized by Chambers Crisis and Risk Management for Crisis Management in 2022–2024

Recognized in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers in Business as a nationwide leader in Government Relations: Congressional Investigations in 2021–2024 and Financial Services Regulation: Banking (Enforcement & Investigations) in 2020–2024

Selected by peers as one of the Best Lawyers in America in the area of white collar criminal defense in 2019–2024; banking and finance law in 2020–2024; and government relations in 2021–2024

Named a highly regarded lawyer in the financial services regulatory by IFLR1000: The Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms in 2018, 2024

Named a Life Sciences Star by LMG Life Sciences in 2020

Named a 2021 Crisis Leadership Trailblazer by The National Law Journal 

Named a 2019 Technology Law Trailblazer by The National Law Journal

Credentials

Admissions & Qualifications

  • District of Columbia
  • Florida

Education

  • Harvard Law SchoolJ.D.cum laude1996
  • Yale UniversityB.A., Political Sciencecum laude1989
    Jackson Prize for Distinguished Service