Headed to Skadden, Ex-White House Counsel Denies Force-Out Rumors
Former White House counsel Gregory Craig, on his way to a new law firm, is denying rumors that he was forced out of the job because of his role in efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center.
Craig is joining Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom after spending 30 years at Williams & Connolly, the National Law Journal reports. Craig told the publication that he “couldn’t be prouder” of his year in the White House counsel’s office and there was no pressure to leave.
“I talked to the president on numerous occasions and told him that a year in the White House was about all I could do,” Craig said. “He understood that and was fine with it. I was not pressured to leave at all.”
Craig said he decided to go to Skadden rather than Williams & Connolly because of the new firm’s “global reach.” He will lead Skadden’s global policy and litigation strategy practice group in Washington, D.C.
Will other Williams & Connolly lawyers follow Craig to his new home? Craig told the NLJ there are no lawyers currently making the leap, but he’s not ruling it out. “We’re going to be looking for uniquely qualified people who are well-prepared to deal with a multiplicity of practice areas,” he said. “We’re going to be looking everywhere for talent.”
