Former Federal Prosecutor Preet Bharara Joining Law Firm WilmerHale as Partner
- This will be his first stint in private practice since President Trump fired him in 2017.
Preet Bharara, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, is about to begin his first stint in private practice since President Trump fired him in 2017. The Indian American federal prosecutor is joining WilmerHale as partner. The New York Times describes “the well connected” law firm as “home to a number of former government officials.”
In a statement Bharara said WilmerHale resonated for him “not just for its reputation for legal excellence and integrity, track record of success, and dedication to diversity, but equally for its respect for public service, support for meaningful pro bono work, and commitment to the democratic values and principles I have spent my career fighting for.”
Talking about his role at the firm, Bharara told The New York Times that he expected it to be more of an advisory role, and less as one of representing clients in court. He said his new job profile includes “a focus on issues of E.S.G., or environmental, social and governance.”
The firm does not disclose compensation figures, The Times noted, and cited the legal magazine The American Lawyer which reported that last year the law firm paid on average $2.8 million to a partner.
During his more than seven years in the post, Bharara attracted headlines for a crackdown on insider trading on Wall Street and corruption in New York politics. He will continue his podcast series, “Stay Tuned with Preet,” and remain in his role as creative director of Cafe at Vox Media.