WilmerHale is pleased to announce that Brian Boynton, the former head of the US Department of Justice’s Civil Division, has rejoined the firm as chair of its best-in-class Government and Regulatory Litigation Practice.
Boynton’s practice will focus on representing clients in high-stakes litigation and regulatory matters, including False Claims Act (FCA) investigations and litigation, Administrative Procedure Act (APA) challenges to agency actions, and constitutional and preemption litigation. Boynton, who was previously vice chair of the practice group, will also assist clients with multi-jurisdictional investigations and commercial matters.
As chair of the group, Boynton succeeds David Ogden who led the group for more than 20 years and will continue to assist clients with complex regulatory and litigation matters from the firm’s office in the nation’s capital where Boynton’s practice is also based.
Boynton led the Civil Division and its approximately 1,100 lawyers for four years, from January 2021 to January 2025, serving as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Acting Assistant Attorney General. In addition to overseeing all the Division’s district court and appellate litigation, Boynton personally handled some of the most important matters facing the government, arguing on behalf of the United States eight times.
In addition to FCA and APA matters, Boynton oversaw the Civil Division’s affirmative consumer protection enforcement efforts and its defense of tort claims, government contract litigation, international trade litigation, and immigration matters. He helped determine DOJ’s civil litigation strategy, coordinating efforts within the Division, and working closely with DOJ leadership and agency General Counsel’s offices across the government.
“Brian demonstrated extraordinary leadership at DOJ, where he led litigation in numerous areas of law for the US government,” said Anjan Sahni, WilmerHale’s managing partner. “As chair of one of our outstanding litigation practice groups, his proven leadership qualities and notable success as a litigator in both public service and private practice will greatly benefit our clients.”
I could not be more thrilled to rejoin WilmerHale,” Boynton said. “The firm’s commitment to excellence and to practicing law with integrity is unrivaled. I look forward to working with my colleagues at the firm to help our clients navigate their biggest and most complex challenges.”
In his legal career, Boynton has alternated between private practice at WilmerHale and public service at DOJ. He first joined the firm in 2002, advancing to partner in 2009. In 2014, he joined DOJ as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel and then served as a Counselor to Attorney General Loretta Lynch. Boynton returned to the firm in 2017 and represented clients in a range of matters as a partner in the Government and Regulatory Litigation Group until his departure for DOJ in 2021.
Boynton was a law clerk for Chief Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and for Judge Vaughn R. Walker of the US District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco. He is a graduate of Stanford Law School (Order of the Coif) and Dartmouth College (summa cum laude).
This news story was originally published on the firm’s website.