Wiley Rein

American law firm

Wiley Rein LLP, sometimes shortened to Wiley, is an American law firm based in Washington, D. C. With 240 lawyers, the firm represents clients in complex regulatory, litigation, and transactional matters. Many of the firm's lawyers and public policy advisors have held high level positions in the White House, on Capitol Hill, and in federal agencies, including the U. S. Department of Defense, the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office, and the U. S. Department of Justice. The firm operates in industries including energy, manufacturing, defense, aerospace, intelligence, information technology, professional services, telecommunications, health care, architectural and engineering (A&E), and construction. Wiley currently employs 450 employees in the firm's Washington, D. C. office.

Wiley opened its doors with 39 attorneys in 1983 as Wiley, Johnson & Rein. In 1986, the firm, then known as Wiley & Rein, became Wiley Rein & Fielding as Richard E. Wiley, former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, and Bert W. Rein, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs, were joined on the masthead by Fred F. Fielding, former Counsel to President Ronald Reagan. With Fielding's return to the White House as Counsel to President George W. Bush on February 1, 2007, the firm reverted to the name Wiley Rein LLP. In 2020, Wiley Rein announced a new brand identity, and is now known as Wiley. The firm's legal name remains Wiley Rein LLP. In December 2014, Wiley acquired McBee Strategic Consulting, now known as SIGNAL Group, as a wholly owned subsidiary. The firms operate separately, but in total they have over 275 legal, lobbying, and communications professionals, including more than 240 attorneys at Wiley Rein, and 40 advocacy and communications professionals at McBee Strategic. During the 2020 COVID 19 pandemic, the company received between $5 million and $10 million in federally backed small business loans from City National Bank as part of the Paycheck Protection Program. The group stated it would allow them to retain 493 jobs. Peter Zeughauser stated in The Wall Street Journal that "it's troubling, and it's inappropriate" that large law firms took the loans, comparing it to other firms where partners reduced their pay; WSJ noted Rein and others have average partner profits above $1.2 million per year and make over $100 million per year. In June 2020, the firm indicated they were moving into a new "trophy office building" built for Tishman Speyer and designed by REX.

Brendan Carr — Current Federal Communications Commission Commissioner appointed by Donald J. Trump
Fred F. Fielding — former White House Counsel; former named partner of the firm; formerly served as Counsel to the President and as a commissioner on the 9/11 Commission
Thomas B. Griffith — Circuit Judge on the U. S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia CircuitJudicial Nominations Thomas B. Griffith
Scott S. Harris — Chief legal counsel of the Supreme Court of the United States; 20th clerk of the court
Kevin J. Martin — former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission
Margaret A. Ryan — Judge on the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. Matthew S. Petersen— Member of the Federal Election Commission appointed by George W. Bush

Major practice groups include Telecom, Media & Technology; Election Law & Government Ethics; Government Contracts; Insurance; Intellectual Property; International Trade; Environment & Product Regulation; Litigation; FTC Regulation; National Security; Privacy, Cyber & Data Governance; and White Collar Defense & Government Investigations.

Wiley is recognized for its service to the local community and pro bono efforts, including negotiating a landmark health care related settlement on behalf of inmates at a Virginia women's prison, a settlement with the Baltimore Police Department in a civil rights case, and teaching high school students at the Academies at Anacostia. The law firm's charitable initiatives have included participation in the Lawyers Have Heart 10K Race, 5K Run & Walk for the American Heart Association, guest bartending to raise money for D. C.'s Legal Aid Society, and a Thanksgiving basket drive to benefit Bread for the City. In 2013, the firm initiated a pro bono awards program, and in 2014, Theodore A. Howard was named a full time pro bono partner. Wiley is regularly ranked among the top ten in Washington Business Journal's Corporate Philanthropy List (Midsize Companies by Giving in Greater D. C.).