Debevoise & Plimpton LLP today announced that Luke Dembosky, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the Justice Department’s National Security Division and the highest-ranking official at the DOJ focused primarily on cyber investigations and prosecutions, will join the firm’s Cybersecurity & Data Privacy practice and its Litigation Department as a partner in the Washington, D.C. office.
Mr. Dembosky has been the senior DOJ lawyer on the Target, Sony Pictures and Anthem breaches, among many others, and has acted as a DOJ ambassador to corporate America in efforts to strengthen public-private cooperation on cyber matters. He managed the DOJ’s operational and policy work on national security cyber matters; oversaw the National Security Cyber Specialists network of prosecutors throughout the United States; advised the senior leadership of the DOJ, FBI, Secret Service, the National Security Council and other agencies regarding major cyber cases and related legal and policy issues; participated in the negotiation of a cyber accord with Russia and the recent 5-point agreement signed by President Obama and President Xi of China; and served as Deputy Chief for Litigation of the DOJ’s highly regarded Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS), the primary unit within the DOJ’s Criminal Division that oversees cybercrime cases. Mr. Dembosky supervised the highly publicized takedown of the GameOver Zeus botnet that targeted the financial sector.
Prior to his work at the DOJ in Washington, Mr. Dembosky served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Western District of Pennsylvania, where he prosecuted some of the earliest and most significant cybercrime cases, including U.S. v. Max Ray Butler, a/k/a the “Iceman” case, which involved a massive theft of credit cards and other information from financial institutions. His prosecution, which is the subject of the books Kingpin and DarkMarket and an American Greed episode, resulted in what was then the longest hacking sentence in U.S. history.
“The increasing prominence of nation-state and quasi-state cyberattack sources has given companies an even greater need for senior lawyers who can not only help direct U.S. forensic and legal responses, but also can navigate at high levels of law enforcement and diplomatic channels,” said Debevoise Presiding Partner Michael W. Blair. “Luke brings valuable perspective on these complex issues from inside the government that will make him particularly attractive to our clients, complementing our market-leading cybersecurity and data privacy team.”
“Debevoise was one of the first law firms to create a practice focusing on data privacy, data protection and cybersecurity – the prevention and mitigation of data loss from external and internal threats – and we are fortunate to have many trusted-advisor relationships with clients who rely on us as their cybersecurity counsel,” said Deputy Presiding Partner Bruce E. Yannett. “Luke’s ideal government background, strong global contacts in the private sector and in law enforcement, and the extraordinarily high esteem in which he is held in the cybersecurity community will help to further these relationships. We are delighted to welcome him to our team.”
“I am excited to join Debevoise and begin the next phase of my career,” Mr. Dembosky said. “Major cyber incidents and other technology risks are not just growing for businesses, but are even more global in nature and increasingly intersect with national security. Debevoise has long been well ahead of the curve in helping clients to manage these business-critical threats, and I am looking forward to working with the firm’s world-class team to expand these vital relationships.”
Debevoise’s Cybersecurity & Data Privacy practice plays a leading role in responding to data breaches and regularly provides cybersecurity and privacy litigation defense and counseling advice for leading companies. Current matters include acting as breach response counsel for a Fortune 100 financial institution, and advising The Home Depot in an internal investigation following a data breach involving the personal information of tens of millions of individuals. The practice’s Washington, D.C. leadership team also includes David A. O’Neil, former Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division and former Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Fraud Section at the Department of Justice, and Jeewon Kim Serrato, former Chief Privacy Officer of Fannie Mae. Jim Pastore, former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, who helped to pioneer cybersecurity enforcement there, became a partner in the New York office last year. The practice is led by Jeremy Feigelson, a New York partner, who, in 2015, was named a Cybersecurity & Data Privacy “Trailblazer” by The National Law Journal and a “Privacy MVP” by Law360. Jeffrey P. Cunard, managing partner of the firm’s Washington D.C. office, leads the corporate transactional side of the firm’s privacy and cybersecurity practice.
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a premier law firm with market-leading practices, a global perspective and strong New York roots. We deliver effective solutions to our clients’ most important legal challenges, applying clear commercial judgment and a distinctively collaborative approach.