Former U.S. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli, one of the highest-ranking lawyers of the Obama administration, isn’t interested in one of Washington, D.C.’s oldest traditions: taking it easy after a stint in government. Instead, his choice—to found a D.C. office for Munger, Tolles & Olson—is an uncommon one. Verrilli, perhaps best known for defending President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act before the Supreme Court, must build not just a book of business, but a broader practice area and an entire office, from scratch.
“There was a real temptation, coming out of the SG position, to go someplace and rest on my laurels and just be a senior statesperson,” Verrilli acknowledges. “That’s not what spoke to me. This can be, if it succeeds, as I believe it will, an important part of my legacy as a lawyer.”
