Jenner & Block is pleased to announce that Aaron Cooper has rejoined the firm as a partner in the Washington, DC office. Aaron will serve as the founding co-chair of the firm’s new Critical and Emerging Technologies Practice. He will also return as co-chair of the Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Practice and as a partner in the Investigations, Compliance, and Defense Practice.
Aaron brings unique cross-sector experience from the highest levels of government and private practice. Most recently, he served as Deputy Legal Advisor to the United States National Security Council (NSC), where his portfolio covered artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and investigations. In that role, Aaron advised on some of the most complex and consequential legal questions facing the federal government at the intersection of technology and national security.
“Aaron uniquely understands the evolving landscape emerging technology companies are facing from inside the government and at the front lines of private sector innovation,” said Co-Managing Partners Ishan Bhabha and Randy Mehrberg. “His leadership will help clients navigate this moment of accelerating legal and regulatory change.”
Jenner’s multidisciplinary Critical and Emerging TechnologiesPractice was designed to support companies operating at the forefront of technological advancement—including in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, semiconductors, cloud infrastructure, and quantum computing —by providing fully integrated, client-focused counsel. The practice combines strategic insight with legal fluency across disciplines like national security, investigations, energy, data privacy, IP, and corporate law.
“Aaron’s ability to bridge high-level government insight with real-world business application strengthens our platform and offers immediate value to our clients—particularly those navigating a fast-evolving technology and regulatory landscape,” said fellow Critical and Emerging TechnologiesPractice Co-Chairs Shoba Pillay and Adam Unikowsky.
“I’m excited to return to Jenner & Block and help our clients thrive in an increasingly complex and competitive global environment,” said Aaron. “Critical technologies are moving fast, and governments around the world are competing for leadership by leveraging a range of legal, policy, and regulatory tools. The consequences of this dynamic are enormous for those developing and deploying emerging tech, and Jenner’s integrated approach is exactly what they need to seize the moment.”
Earlier in his career, Aaron served as lead investigative counsel to the Senate Intelligence Committee and as a DOJ cybercrime prosecutor and counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for DOJ’s Criminal Division. In private practice, he has represented global companies on matters involving regulatory strategy, internal investigations, congressional inquiries, and crisis response. He earned his JD from Georgetown University Law Center and clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.