Co-Chair, Cybersecurity, Privacy and Communications Practice, Wilmer Hale
Benjamin Powell co-chairs the cybersecurity and privacy practice at WilmerHale and is a partner in its Defense and National Security practice. He has advised companies on many of the most significant cybersecurity incidents and incident preparedness across virtually every sector of the economy, including the defense and intelligence, social media, banking, investment management, software, retail, energy, media and entertainment, pharmaceutical, cloud services, government contracting, aerospace, information technology, manufacturing, and travel sectors. He also is regularly asked to be lead counsel on major investigations and strategic counseling across a variety of sensitive regulatory matters for the world’s most prominent companies.
Mr. Powell served as General Counsel to the first three Directors of National Intelligence across two Administrations, where he led efforts related to variety of intelligence transformation initiatives related to electronic surveillance and organization and authorities of the Intelligence Community. He served as Special Assistant to the President and Associate White House Counsel from 2002 to 2006, where he was responsible for Intelligence Community-related legislation and intelligence transformation initiatives. This included efforts related to the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, National Counterterrorism Center, enhancing Central Intelligence Agency capabilities, and terrorism information sharing. Mr. Powell clerked on the United States Supreme Court for Justices John Paul Stevens and Byron White, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit for Judge John M. Walker, Jr.
Mr. Powell served in the United States Air Force prior to law school and also worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. As an officer in the Air Force, Mr. Powell supported intelligence missions of the United States Space Command Joint Space Intelligence Center, Fleet Intelligence Centers, National Maritime Intelligence Center, United States Central Command, Air Combat Command, and counter-narcotics tactical intelligence centers.
He currently serves on the Public Interest Declassification Board by appointment of the President. Mr. Powell is a recipient of the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, the National Security Agency Bronze Medallion, the Central Intelligence Agency Seal Medallion, the National Security Agency Intelligence Under Law award, and the Edmund J. Randolph award from the Department of Justice.