Kirstjen Nielsen, 6th U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, to Serve Pillsbury Clients as a Senior Policy Advisor

Secretary Nielsen has spent her career working at the intersection of technology, government and law, holding numerous senior-level roles across the public and private sectors over the past two-and-a-half decades. An internationally recognized expert in her field, she offers deep knowledge of established and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and quantum computing, and has been a vocal proponent of technology’s potential to address some of the most pressing security issues.

“A host of recent geopolitical events have helped to both accelerate investment in the Technology and Security sectors and create new regulatory obligations and policy issues for industry participants to navigate,” said Firm Chair David Dekker. “Secretary Nielsen has world-class national security- and cyber-related credentials and maintains strong relationships throughout the federal government and across the world. Her insights will benefit clients navigating a rapidly changing policy environment.”

In government, Secretary Nielsen most notably served as the sixth U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS)—the U.S. government’s third-largest Cabinet-level department, with a workforce of approximately 260,000. Appointed during President Donald Trump’s first term—following stints as DHS Chief of Staff and White House Deputy Chief of Staff—she oversaw operational, policy, and legal matters related to homeland and national security, cyber and critical infrastructure resilience, counterterrorism, natural disasters and border and transportation security. In 2004, she was named by President George W. Bush to serve as Special Assistant to the President for Prevention, Preparedness, and Response on the White House Homeland Security Council, during which time she was involved in the development, coordination, and oversight of U.S. homeland security policy. Previously, she helped to stand up the Transportation Security Administration after 9/11, creating and managing the Offices of Legislative Policy and Government Affairs.

Secretary Nielsen is President and Founder of Lighthouse Strategies, a global advisory firm that counsels investors and businesses on risk management, artificial intelligence, government mission requirements, new technology use cases, and the mitigation of potential threats or vulnerabilities posed by new technologies. She previously served as General Counsel and President of the Homeland Security and Private Sector Preparedness practice at strategic advisory and investment firm Civitas Group LLC and founded Sunesis Consulting LLC, a private consulting firm focused on preparedness strategies, policies, plans, tools and tabletop exercises to prevent, protect against and respond to catastrophic events. She began her career as a corporate transactional lawyer at an AmLaw 100 law firm.

An internationally recognized speaker, author and thought leader, Secretary Nielsen is a member of the National Defense University Foundation Board; the Board of Advisors for the Global and National Security Institute at the University of South Florida; a Board Member of the Global Resilience Federation; an Editorial Board member of Homeland Security Today; and serves as co-chair of working groups on cyber and critical infrastructure security for the bipartisan Homeland Security Experts Group. She also sits on the Advisory Boards of several emerging technology companies—including entities focused on cybersecurity, digital identity, drug and biothreat detection, decentralized finance, space, and emergency communications and emergency response—and a variety of other boards promoting government, nonprofit, and private sector security collaboration.

“The complicated web of federal policies, compliance requirements and emerging technologies affecting the national security sector is daunting for even the most sophisticated organizations,” said Nancy Fischer, Pillsbury’s global head of Regulatory. “Secretary Nielsen, with her wealth of knowledge, relationships and first-hand government experience, affords those we represent with a much-needed guide to see them through that labyrinth.”

Secretary Nielsen’s relationship with Pillsbury coincides with a string of recent Pillsbury hires intended to support clients as they navigate U.S. policy and regulatory shifts amidst significant geopolitical uncertainty. On April 21, the firm announced that Former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe was rejoining Pillsbury’s Corporate Investigations and White Collar Defense practice in Miami. Last month, the firm welcomed a 14-member international trade team led by partners Daniel Porter, Matthew McCullough and James Durling and former federal prosecutor Jeffrey Izant, who brings deep experience in cyber-crime and data security. In February, former senior advisors at the U.S. Department of Commerce Sahar Hafeez and Julian Beach joined Pillsbury’s international trade team as senior counsel and special counsel, respectively.

Speaking about her decision to affiliate with the firm, Secretary Nielsen said: “Pillsbury is well-respected inside the government and out. With wide-ranging regulatory capabilities and an established place at the center of the Technology and Defense sectors, the firm is uniquely positioned to help companies build a stronger and safer United States. Given how well those traits align with my own experiences, Pillsbury was the obvious choice.”

Pillsbury’s Regulatory practice operates on the front lines of law and policy, ensuring compliance with existing rules while anticipating new developments prompted by international turmoil, technological advances and changing worldviews. The team includes numerous former government officials and lawyers, earning the firm the respect of regulators and a high level of credibility when representing clients before them. The group handles work at all levels of government, with expertise that spans governmental investigations, compliance program development and implementation, regulatory hearings, government contract and spending initiatives, government affairs and congressional investigations, and more.

Pillsbury’s cross-disciplinary National Security & Defense Innovation team supports market participants’ efforts to raise capital and grow, develop and implement achievable business strategies, navigate evolving compliance obligations, and address emerging risk vectors to thrive in a highly regulated and competitive business environment. The Pillsbury team has unparalleled experience working with national security and defense clients, offering the rare combination of a long-embedded position in the venture capital ecosystem with a market leading M&A practice, comprehensive IP capabilities, global trade and sanctions experience, and an established reputation as a national leader in resolving government contracts issues and other complex disputes.