Matthew Klapper joins Emily Loeb and Ashley Callen as co-chair of the Congressional Investigations Practice and Joanna Ludlam and Wade Thomson as a founding co-chair of the newly launched Global Crisis Management and Strategic Risk Practice
Jenner & Block is pleased to announce that Matthew
B. Klapper has joined as a Partner in its Washington, DC
office, where he will serve as co-chair of the
Congressional Investigations Practice and play a key role in
the
Government Controversies and Public Policy Litigation Practice.
He will also serve as a founding co-chair of the
Global Crisis Management and Strategic Risk Practice.
Known for his strategic insight, bipartisan relationships, and
steady leadership, Matt most recently served as Chief of Staff at
the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), where he oversaw the
Attorney General’s office, led crisis management and
congressional strategy, served as a senior counselor on major
civil, criminal, and national security matters, and helped manage
the Department’s 115,000-person workforce. As one of the
longest-serving Chiefs of Staff in Department history, Matt was
instrumental in steering the Department through complex matters and
congressional scrutiny. Matt is a recipient of the Edmund J.
Randoph Award, the Department’s highest honor, which
recognizes individuals who have made an “outstanding
contribution” to the DOJ’s mission.
Before joining DOJ, Matt was a long-serving Chief of Staff in the
United States Senate, where he led oversight, policy, and
communications strategy for United States Senator Cory A. Booker
(D-NJ). He also served as Chief Policy Advisor for the City of
Newark, New Jersey and worked on local, statewide, and national
campaigns.
During his tenure in the US Senate and Department of Justice, Matt
has gained extensive experience both conducting and defending
against government oversight efforts. He has prepared multiple
senior officials for high-stakes Congressional hearings and media
appearances, including the Senate confirmation hearing for Attorney
General Merrick B. Garland and Senator Booker’s preparation
for five nationally televised debates during the 2020 US
presidential Democratic primaries.
“Matt is one of Washington’s most trusted
strategists,” said Co-Managing Partners Ishan
Bhabha and Randy
Mehrberg. “With a background that spans legislative and
legal strategy, investigations, and crisis response, Matt brings
sharp judgment and calm under pressure. He understands how law,
policy, politics, and reputation intersect—and how the
players at the highest levels of Congress and the Executive Branch
operate. And his insight and steady leadership have earned him deep
respect across the political spectrum.”
Matt joins a bipartisan Congressional Investigations Practice
leadership team that includes Emily
Loeb, former Associate Deputy Attorney General and Associate
White House Counsel, and Ashley
Callen, who recently joined
the firm having served as General Counsel to Speaker of the House
Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA).
“Matt’s deep experience in the Senate and at the
Department of Justice adds a powerful dimension to our team,”
said Congressional Investigations Co-Chairs Emily and Ashley.
“Combined with our Legislative and Executive Branch
backgrounds, we offer clients a rare, full-spectrum perspective on
congressional investigations and crisis response. Our team has been
carefully built to help clients navigate the legal uncertainty,
regulatory intensity, and reputational scrutiny that define
today’s landscape. Matt’s political savvy and sound
judgment strengthens our ability to guide clients through their
most challenging business crises with confidence and
clarity.”
Matt will also co-lead Jenner & Block’s newly launched
Global Crisis Management and Strategic Risk Practice, alongside
Partners Joanna
Ludlam and Wade
Thomson. The practice is designed to address the increasingly
complex and multijurisdictional crises confronting clients,
integrating legal, regulatory, political, and reputational
considerations into cohesive and strategic risk mitigation efforts
and crisis response. Drawing on the firm’s deep bench of
experienced litigators, crisis advisors, and former senior
government officials, the team crafts tailored solutions that
reflect each client’s specific risk profile. The practice
helps clients cut through complexity, respond with clarity, and
emerge stronger and more resilient.
“Matt brings not only experience but a clear vision for how
to help clients emerge stronger from moments of crisis,” said
Global Crisis Management and Strategic Risk Co-Chairs Jo and Wade.
“We are proud to be launching this new practice at a critical
moment for clients seeking problem solvers and trusted counselors
to strategically navigate immediate crises and long-term risks.
Matt’s ability to align legal strategy with reputational and
geopolitical dynamics sets him apart and will help support clients
from across the globe facing an increasingly unpredictable
future.”
“I’m honored to join Jenner & Block,” said
Matt. “The firm’s reputation for fearlessly and ably
handling the most complex and consequential matters is unmatched. I
look forward to partnering with my colleagues across the firm to
help clients manage investigations, risk, and crisis—both in
Washington and in the increasingly complex and interconnected
global environment.”
Matt holds a JD from Yale Law School and a BA from the University
of Pennsylvania.