Administrative and Regulatory Practice

Megan Crowley '10

Partner

Covington & Burling

Megan Crowley is a nationally recognized litigator who serves as co-chair of Covington’s Government Litigation practice. She has significant experience with constitutional and statutory issues, and particular expertise representing technology companies in cutting-edge litigation relating to data privacy. In addition to her federal practice, Megan has extensive experience challenging unconstitutional state actions, and defending against novel uses of state consumer protection laws by state attorneys general. Most recently, The American Lawyer named Megan a “Litigator of the Week” for her successes in securing the complete dismissal of a consumer protection lawsuit brought by the Indiana Attorney General, and in obtaining a preliminary injunction against the state of Montana’s ban of TikTok. Megan also was a key member of the Covington team that represented TikTok in its successful challenge to the Trump Administration’s efforts to ban the app, as well as the team that represented Xiaomi Corporation in its successful challenge to the Department of Defense designation that would have banned the company from U.S. financial markets. Megan also regularly represents clients in litigation under the Administrative Procedure Act, as well as disputes related to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, government demands for data under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, and the First Amendment. In 2022, Law360 named Megan a Rising Star in Privacy. Megan maintains a robust pro bono practice, focused on civil rights litigation. She also played a central role on the team representing the University of California in its challenge to the government’s rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, obtaining a nationwide injunction and, ultimately, a 5-4 victory in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Joseph Penko

Partner

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom

Mr. Penko regularly counsels public and private companies, private equity firms, executive management teams and individual executives on the design, implementation and termination of compensation and benefit arrangements, including executive employment and severance agreements; consulting arrangements; retention, severance and change-in-control plans; cash and equity-based incentive programs; and nonqualified deferred compensation plans.

Mr. Penko also frequently advises clients regarding tax rules relating to deferred compensation, excise tax on excess parachute payments and limits on the deductibility of executive compensation. He also advises on U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules governing executive compensation disclosure and corporate governance matters. Additionally, he counsels clients on a variety of ESG-related matters. Mr. Penko has been selected for inclusion repeatedly in Chambers USA.

Sam Sullivan '19

Associate

Arnold & Porter

Sam Sullivan represents clients across a range of antitrust and competition matters, including complex civil litigation, government investigations, and filing obligations under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act.

Sam received his J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he was a James Kent Scholar and articles editor on the Columbia Business Law Review. During law school, Sam served as an extern in the Antitrust Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s Office.

Jeffrey Senger

Lecturer in Law

Columbia Law School

Jeff Senger handles the most significant and complex issues for life sciences companies worldwide as a Partner at Sidley Austin, informed by his experience as the acting Chief Counsel of the Food and Drug Administration and a leading litigator at the U.S. Justice Department. He wrote an award-winning book about resolving conflicts with the government entitled Federal Dispute Resolution (Wiley), as well as numerous law review articles and book chapters on negotiation and FDA law. He serves as an expert witness, arbitrator, and mediator. He is an honors graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School.

As FDA’s acting Chief Counsel, Jeff directed the agency’s legal activities, including managing civil and criminal litigation; approving regulations, guidance documents, and warning letters; and supervising the work of 100 lawyers. In 17 years at the United States Department of Justice, he served as Senior Counsel in the Office of the Associate Attorney General (advising the White House and Attorney General, and assisting in the oversight of more than 6,500 employees and collective budgets over $3 billion), as Senior Trial Attorney and Special Assistant United States Attorney (serving as lead counsel in many civil and criminal trials before juries and judges), as the director of civil and appellate training at the National Advocacy Center, and as the leader of the Office of Dispute Resolution (managing negotiation, mediation, and arbitration). He began his career as a law clerk for a United States District Court judge.

He has been recognized as a Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a Distinguished Neutral in arbitration and mediation with the CPR International Institute for Dispute Resolution, an arbitration panelist with the American Arbitration Association and District of Columbia Bar Association, and a mediator for the District of Columbia Superior Court and United States District Court.

Jeff has taught trial advocacy, mediation, and negotiation at Harvard Law School, and he is an elected member of the American Law Institute. He is a member of the D.C. Circuit Judicial Conference, has testified as an expert witness before the United States Congress, served as chair of the editorial board for the Food and Drug Law Journal, and spoken on behalf of the United States government on five continents.