Former Deputy White House Counsel Rejoins Covington

Former Deputy White House Counsel Rejoins Covington

January 18, 2024

WASHINGTON—Stacey Grigsby, former Deputy White House Counsel to President Joseph Biden, has rejoined Covington as a Litigation partner in Washington. Stacey will serve as co-chair of Covington’s Government Litigation practice and as a member of the firm’s Commercial Litigation, and Institutional Culture and Social Responsibility practices.

“Stacey’s recent experiences in government and in private practice and her great skill as a first-chair litigator will bring tremendous value to our clients,” said John Hall, chair of Covington’s global Litigation practice. “She will build upon her recent high-level government experience by focusing on government-facing litigation, as well as leading investigations that implicate institutional culture, social responsibility, and equity. We have significant practices in both of these areas, and Stacey will add important breadth and depth to our team and significantly enhance our ability to advocate for our clients.”

“Given her unique experience at the center of the executive branch’s decision-making on civil rights matters and issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Stacey will be an integral resource for clients facing increasing scrutiny from internal and external stakeholders related to workplace culture and DEI commitments,” said Aaron Lewis, co-chair of Covington’s Institutional Culture and Social Responsibility practice. “Stacey advised the Biden Administration on some of the most significant recent civil rights issues, including reproductive rights in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision and educational opportunity after the Students for Fair Admissions decision on affirmative action in higher education.”

In the White House Counsel’s Office, Stacey advised the President and senior White House officials on a range of civil rights issues, worked closely with senior officials at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and other executive agencies, and led interagency consideration of legal issues at the center of high-profile litigation, legislation, and regulation.

“I chose to re-join Covington because of the firm’s unique culture of collaboration and teamwork, the strong relationships I have forged with my colleagues across the firm, and the synergies between the firm’s practice mix and my areas of focus,” said Stacey. “I look forward to helping the firm expand client relationships across its litigation and investigations practices.”

A nationally recognized litigator with deep experience in trial and appellate courts across the country, Stacey will represent clients in a range of federal and state government-facing litigation proceedings, including matters involving challenges to government actions, contract disputes, bid protests, and allegations of misconduct and fraud. As a senior member of the firm’s Institutional Culture and Social Responsibility Practice, she will lead civil rights or racial equity audits, as well as assessments of the legal, business, and reputational risks that can arise from concerns about an institution’s culture.

Earlier in her career, Stacey served for eight years at DOJ as a trial attorney, senior trial attorney, and later as Counsel to the Associate Attorney General. As Counsel to the Associate AG, she advised on a diverse set of department-wide and interagency issues, ranging from civil litigation to proposed regulations. She also assisted in negotiations to resolve a number of civil fraud investigations, resulting in historic settlements.

Stacey received her B.A. from Yale University and J.D. from Yale Law School.