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Drawing upon three decades of experience as a federal prosecutor and senior government official, former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein helps clients resolve sensitive regulatory, enforcement and litigation challenges. His practice focuses on government investigations, crisis management, national security and cyber issues, tax controversies, compliance and monitoring.

Rod served in leadership positions in the U.S. Department of Justice during the administrations of Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, including as Deputy Attorney General and U.S. Attorney for Maryland. He personally represented the United States in 23 jury trials and argued 21 appeals in various appellate courts and the U.S. Supreme Court.

As the second-highest ranking Department of Justice official from 2017 to 2019, Rod was responsible for overseeing 115,000 employees nationwide in the litigating divisions, law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorney’s Offices. He revised policies concerning corporate criminal prosecutions and parallel domestic and foreign investigations, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act matters, and health care fraud cases.  He also reviewed significant proposed criminal and civil enforcement actions, False Claims Act settlements, and corporate monitor appointments. Rod led the Task Force on Market Integrity and Consumer Fraud and the Cyber-Digital Task Force, and he handled national security matters reviewed by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

Rod started his legal career as a law clerk to Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. He joined the Department of Justice as a trial attorney in the prestigious Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division (1990 to 1993), before serving as counsel to the Deputy Attorney General and the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division (1993 to 1995). He conducted complex investigations and handled litigation in trial and appellate courtrooms as an Associate Independent Counsel (1995 to 1997), as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland (1997 to 2001), and as the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Department’s Tax Division (2001 to 2005).

As the longest-serving U.S. Attorney in recent history, Rod oversaw federal criminal and civil litigation and developed and implemented federal law enforcement strategies in Maryland from 2005 to 2017. During his twelve-year tenure, he served on the Washington/Baltimore High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, including the subcommittees on White Collar Crime and Computer Crime/Intellectual Property Matters. He also personally litigated cases in the U.S. District Court and in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

A member of the U.S. Chamber Litigation Center's Board of Directors, Rod frequently speaks about federal enforcement policies and priorities. He taught semester-long courses for several years as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law and at the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Full Bio

Credentials

J.D., Harvard Law School, cum laude

B.S. Economics, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude, Beta Gamma Sigma, Royal Society of Arts Silver Medal

District of Columbia

Maryland

Pennsylvania

Supreme Court of the United States

U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland

U.S. Tax Court

Law Clerk, Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit

American Bar Association

American Bar Foundation

Edward Bennett Williams Inn of Court

Federal Bar Association

Harvard Law School Alumni Association

Lawyers’ Round Table Law Club of Baltimore

Maryland State Bar Association

National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys

Serjeants’ Inn Law Club of Baltimore

Wharton Club of DC

Recognized in Benchmark Litigation 2024


Benchmark Litigation

Public Servant Award


Armenian Bar Association (2019)

Kentucky Colonel Appointment


Governor of Kentucky (2018)

Distinguished Service Award


Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association (2017)

Courage in Government Award


Greater Baltimore Committee (2017)

Governor’s Citation


State of Maryland (2017)

J. Joseph Curran Public Service Award


Maryland Bar Foundation (2017)

President’s Award


Mid Atlantic Regional Gang Enforcement Network (2017)

Peter A. DiRito Award


Federal Bar Association (2012)

Fraud Fighter of the Year Award


Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (2009)

Leadership in Law Award


Maryland Daily Record (2007)

Traphagen Distinguished Alumni Speaker


Harvard Law School (2006)

Chief’s Award


Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (2005)

Wasserstein Public Interest Fellow


Harvard Law School (1997)

Close

Recognition

Recognized in Benchmark Litigation 2024


Benchmark Litigation

Public Servant Award


Armenian Bar Association (2019)

Kentucky Colonel Appointment


Governor of Kentucky (2018)

Distinguished Service Award


Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association (2017)

Courage in Government Award


Greater Baltimore Committee (2017)

Governor’s Citation


State of Maryland (2017)

J. Joseph Curran Public Service Award


Maryland Bar Foundation (2017)

President’s Award


Mid Atlantic Regional Gang Enforcement Network (2017)

Peter A. DiRito Award


Federal Bar Association (2012)

Fraud Fighter of the Year Award


Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (2009)

Leadership in Law Award


Maryland Daily Record (2007)

Traphagen Distinguished Alumni Speaker


Harvard Law School (2006)

Chief’s Award


Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (2005)

Wasserstein Public Interest Fellow


Harvard Law School (1997)

Credentials

J.D., Harvard Law School, cum laude

B.S. Economics, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude, Beta Gamma Sigma, Royal Society of Arts Silver Medal

District of Columbia

Maryland

Pennsylvania

Supreme Court of the United States

U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland

U.S. Tax Court

Law Clerk, Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit

American Bar Association

American Bar Foundation

Edward Bennett Williams Inn of Court

Federal Bar Association

Harvard Law School Alumni Association

Lawyers’ Round Table Law Club of Baltimore

Maryland State Bar Association

National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys

Serjeants’ Inn Law Club of Baltimore

Wharton Club of DC

Recognized in Benchmark Litigation 2024


Benchmark Litigation

Public Servant Award


Armenian Bar Association (2019)

Kentucky Colonel Appointment


Governor of Kentucky (2018)

Distinguished Service Award


Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association (2017)

Courage in Government Award


Greater Baltimore Committee (2017)

Governor’s Citation


State of Maryland (2017)

J. Joseph Curran Public Service Award


Maryland Bar Foundation (2017)

President’s Award


Mid Atlantic Regional Gang Enforcement Network (2017)

Peter A. DiRito Award


Federal Bar Association (2012)

Fraud Fighter of the Year Award


Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (2009)

Leadership in Law Award


Maryland Daily Record (2007)

Traphagen Distinguished Alumni Speaker


Harvard Law School (2006)

Chief’s Award


Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (2005)

Wasserstein Public Interest Fellow


Harvard Law School (1997)

Close

Recognition

Recognized in Benchmark Litigation 2024


Benchmark Litigation

Public Servant Award


Armenian Bar Association (2019)

Kentucky Colonel Appointment


Governor of Kentucky (2018)

Distinguished Service Award


Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association (2017)

Courage in Government Award


Greater Baltimore Committee (2017)

Governor’s Citation


State of Maryland (2017)

J. Joseph Curran Public Service Award


Maryland Bar Foundation (2017)

President’s Award


Mid Atlantic Regional Gang Enforcement Network (2017)

Peter A. DiRito Award


Federal Bar Association (2012)

Fraud Fighter of the Year Award


Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (2009)

Leadership in Law Award


Maryland Daily Record (2007)

Traphagen Distinguished Alumni Speaker


Harvard Law School (2006)

Chief’s Award


Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (2005)

Wasserstein Public Interest Fellow


Harvard Law School (1997)