Russell_Whitney

Whitney Russell

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Russell_Whitney

Whitney Russell

Counsel

Washington DC + 1 202 663 6510

Whitney Russell represents individual and corporate clients in high-stakes government and internal investigations, litigation and crisis response. Ms. Russell is an experienced trial lawyer, having served as lead counsel in over 25 trials in federal and state courts.  

Drawing on her experience as a Cybercrimes prosecutor, a significant portion of Ms. Russell’s practice involves advising technology clients on assessing and managing legal and reputational risk. She counsels leading technology and media companies on cutting-edge statutory and constitutional issues, including interactions with law enforcement under the Communications Decency Act, the Stored Communications Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and the First Amendment. Ms. Russell also  advises clients on their development and use of AI, providing a thoughtful but practical approach to managing legal and reputational risks in an area with a tremendous amount of legal uncertainty.

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Russell was an Assistant US Attorney in the Cybercrimes Unit of the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, where she handled complex fraud and national security investigations, as well as child exploitation cases. Ms. Russell also served as a Special Assistant US Attorney in the Criminal Division of the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 

Ms. Russell previously worked as a litigation associate at an international law firm in Washington DC, where she focused primarily on criminal investigations. While pursuing her legal education, Ms. Russell was a judicial extern for the Honorable Richard J. Howell of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. 

Recognition

  • Received the Assistant Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service for her work on Operation Pacifier 
  • Received the Assistant Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service for her work on Operation Subterfuge
  • Received the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency’s Award for Excellence in Investigation for her work on United States v. Skydance MacMahon

Insights & News

View all of Whitney's insights & news

Credentials

  • Education

    • JD, Columbia University School of Law, 2007

      Notes Editor, Human Rights Law Review, Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar

    • MSc, University of Oxford, 2004

      Distinction on master’s thesis 

    • BA, Critical Social Thought, Mount Holyoke College, 2003

  • Admissions

    • District of Columbia

    • New York

    • Virginia

    • US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

    • US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

    • US District Court for the District of Columbia

    • US District Court for the Eastern District of New York

    • US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

    • US District Court for the Southern District of New York

    • US District Court for the Western District of Virginia

  • Government Experience

    • Department of Justice

      United States Attorney's Office

      Assistant United States Attorney, The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia

    • Department of Justice

      United States Attorney's Office

      Special Assistant United States Attorney, The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia

Credentials

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