Washington, D.C. – Sidley is pleased to announce that Michael Hochman has joined as a partner in the firm’s Privacy and Cybersecurity practice in Washington, D.C. immediately following his four years of service at the White House Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD). ONCD was established in 2021 to advise the President of the United States on cybersecurity policy and strategy “to advance national security, economic prosperity, and technological innovation through cybersecurity policy leadership.” He also served as Deputy General Counsel and Deputy Chief of Staff at ONCD.
Mr. Hochman was instrumental in shaping ONCD policy and focus, and was at the center of many national security policy initiatives involving cybersecurity, privacy, AI, and quantum computing. These initiatives focused on the development and implementation of national cybersecurity and AI policies related to protecting and improving the resilience of critical infrastructure and reducing vulnerabilities for operators in space, electric vehicles, healthcare systems, water and wastewater, AI, quantum-resistant cryptography, and open-source software. In his roles, Mr. Hochman had extensive engagement with the White House, interagency, international allies and partners, and critical infrastructure industry representatives on pressing cybersecurity concerns and immediate and forward-looking efforts to strengthen cyber infrastructure.
Mr. Hochman has over 30 years of experience in law and government. Prior to his White House roles, he was a commercial litigator in private practice for many years, and served as an assistant public defender for the State of Delaware. Mr. Hochman began his career as a law clerk for Vice Chancellor Myron T. Steele on the State of Delaware Court of Chancery.
“Michael has a deep understanding of the inner workings of the White House and the Intelligence Community, as well as departments and agencies across the federal government. He is well-placed to support our national security, government contractor, and cybersecurity work,” said Kristin Graham Koehler, managing partner of Sidley’s Washington, D.C. office and a member of the firm’s Management Committee. “He also has decades of courtroom experience, and we look forward to his collaboration with our partners in the D.C. office and across the firm.”
“Many of our clients are subject to and actively engaged in the initiatives that Michael helped create while with ONCD,” said Steve Cohen, global practice leader of Sidley’s Regulatory and Enforcement group and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. “They will greatly benefit from Michael’s knowledge of national cybersecurity policy and the evolving global, complex regulatory environments related to cybersecurity, privacy, AI, and quantum computing.”
Sidley’s Privacy and Cybersecurity practice represents businesses in complex cybersecurity, privacy, and novel technology matters, as well as related regulatory, litigation, investigation, and law enforcement issues. Comprising more than 70 lawyers, the global team focuses on cutting-edge matters related to cybersecurity preparedness, confidential information and intellectual property, incident and data breach response, and privacy and data protection.
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Matt Messinger, Director, Public Relations, +1 312 456 4009 (Global)
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