Rachel Cotton, former Deputy Counsel to the President in the Office of the White House Counsel, is a member of the firm’s White Collar Defense & Investigations group. Her practice focuses on defending companies, nonprofits, and individuals facing congressional and executive branch investigations, white collar matters, and crisis management.
As Deputy Counsel in the White House Counsel’s Office, Rachel advised the President and senior White officials on legal strategy and managed the White House’s legal response to congressional oversight and government investigations involving the President and White House priorities.
Rachel previously held two general counsel roles in Executive Branch agencies, serving as General Counsel to the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy and as Deputy General Counsel in the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. In addition, she served as a counsel for a special investigative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Earlier in her career, Rachel was a partner in private practice.
Perspectives
Credentials
Education
- J.D., Yale Law School, 2009
- B.A., Brown University, 2004, magna cum laude
Admissions
- District of Columbia
- New York
Government & Military Service
- Counsel, Office of the White House (2022-2025)
- General Counsel, White House Office of Science & Technology Policy (2022)
- Deputy General Counsel, U.S. Office of Personnel Management (2021-2022)
- Counsel, Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis Office of Personnel Management, U.S. House of Representatives (2020)
Clerkships
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, The Honorable Diana Gribbon Motz (2011-2012)
- U.S. District Court, District of Columbia, The Honorable Henry H. Kennedy Jr. (2010-2011)
Activities
- Edward Bennett Inn of Court (2014-present)
- D.C. Bar’s Rules of Professional Conduct Review Committee (2017-2021)