WASHINGTON, DC, September 23, 2019 — Arnold & Porter announced today that Allon Kedem, former Assistant to the US Solicitor General at the US Department of Justice, has joined the firm as a partner in the Appellate and Supreme Court practice. Mr. Kedem, resident in the firm's Washington, DC office, joins veteran Supreme Court lawyer John Elwood, who came in June to lead the practice. The pair previously worked together at the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel more than a decade ago.
Mr. Elwood said: "Allon is one of the most talented Supreme Court advocates in the country. Having argued 11 closely watched cases before the Supreme Court and prevailing in eight of them, Allon has a proven record of handling even the toughest cases."
Mr. Kedem has the unusual distinction of having clerked at the Supreme Court twice: for Justice Anthony Kennedy during the 2009 Term, and then for Justice Elena Kagan the following year, her first on the Court. Mr. Kedem also began his career as a law clerk, for Judge Mark Kravitz of the US District Court for the District of Connecticut and for Judge Pierre Leval of the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
During his tenure at the Solicitor General's Office, Mr. Kedem filed dozens of briefs on the merits and hundreds of certiorari-stage briefs in cases involving constitutional, statutory, and administrative law. His portfolio included issues arising under the False Claims Act, the Federal Arbitration Act, the securities laws, Indian law, and the Clean Water Act. Among other matters, Mr. Kedem helped coordinate the government's response to constitutional challenges against the appointment of administrative law judges, which led to the Supreme Court's ruling in Lucia v. SEC.
"I've had the good fortune during my career to work for and with the best, so Arnold & Porter was a logical next step for me after leaving the Solicitor General's Office," said Mr. Kedem. "The firm's Appellate and Supreme Court practice, with its deep bench of superstars, has been making a name for itself in high-profile, high-stakes litigation. I can't think of a better platform for top-quality Supreme Court and appellate advocacy."
Immediately prior to joining the Office of the Solicitor General, Mr. Kedem was in private practice. He earned his JD from Yale Law School and received his BA, magna cum laude, from Harvard College.
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