Hogan Lovells in Washington, D.C., Welcomes Karl Racine

The first elected and independent Attorney General for the District of Columbia has joined the large international law firm Hogan Lovells as a litigation partner in the Washington office.

Miguel Zaldivar, Chief Executive Officer of Hogan Lovells, remarked, “Karl has been a national leader in a wide range of cutting-edge issues, including privacy, social media, AI, antitrust, competition, financial services, ESG, civil rights, consumer protection, labour and employment, food and drug safety, child safety, false claims, the environment, and government investigations. He brings so much to the table.”

“In a town chock full of good attorneys, Karl stands apart—for his leadership, competitiveness, and team play, all in service to winning for clients,” added Des Hogan, worldwide head of Hogan Lovells’ Disputes practise. State AG offices are on the rise and frequently discussed in the boardrooms and C-Suite. Karl will start our State AG practise in addition to collaborating closely with our litigation and white collar teams across the globe.

Our customers will be better able to navigate possibilities as well as dangers to their business goals thanks to Karl’s established credibility with other AGs and before several federal and state regulatory, enforcement, and investigative organisations with whom he has collaborated effectively.

A Leader in Our Community

According to Lillian S. Hardy, who is in charge of Hogan Lovells’ Crisis Leadership Team, “We’re thrilled to have him as a partner because he’s a leader in our community.”

In a variety of bet-the-company civil and white collar disputes and investigations, Racine will represent clients. With more than 30 years of expertise, Racine knows how to put together winning legal teams. He has represented clients at the highest level in civil, criminal, enforcement, and administrative disputes. He has also participated in several appeals.

Racine will oversee the newly rebranded AG practise for the company, bringing resources and expertise from across practises and offices.

Racine stated, “I have long respected the business and its genuinely outstanding legal team. I’ve chosen to work at Hogan Lovells because of the firm’s illustrious past, well-deserved reputation as a premier international law firm, and Miguel’s strategic direction for the company. The greatest is yet to come, and I’m eager to contribute to bringing it about.”

Respect and National Recognition

Racine has gained respect and national recognition for his achievements and leadership. He also held the position of Co-Chair of the partisan Attorney General Alliance Association from 2017 to 2022. Racine served as the Democratic Attorneys General Association’s co-chair from 2016 to 2020, a period during which the group saw electoral triumph, significantly increased diversity, and record-breaking funding.

After developing a renowned white collar and civil litigation practise, he became the first Black managing partner of a top 100 U.S. law firm. During the Clinton Administration, he also worked as an associate White House counsel. Earlier in his career, he was a D.C. public defender.

Racine has a long history of civic engagement in Washington, D.C. He has served on the boards of numerous non-profit institutions, including the Legal Aid Society of Washington and the Network for Victim Recovery of D.C. He moved to Washington, D.C. when he was three years old after being born in Haiti.

Racine received a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, where he captained the men’s basketball team, and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.