Former vice president Kamala Harris‘ husband decided quickly what to do next after his exit from the White House as within a week he was ready for his next job. He has joined law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher as a partner starting today, the New York Times reported adding that he will now be dividing his time between Los Angeles and Manhattan. The NYT report said that DealBook’s Lauren Hirsch was the first to report about this new development as Emhoff takes up the new work of advising companies on crises including litigation and corporate investigations.
Doug Emhoff co-founded a boutique law firm in 2000 which he sold to a rival, Venable, in 2006. He left Venable in 2017 for DLA Poper and then left his career in 2020 partly to avoid conflicts of interest as Kamala Harris became vice president and also partly to support Harris’ career. His clients included Spotify and Lionsgate.
The law firm issued a press release welcoming the former second gentleman on board. “He brings more than three decades serving as a litigator, trial lawyer, and trusted counsel to clients and global business leaders, as well as extensive experience representing the United States around the world, to Willkie’s broad corporate and litigation platforms,” it said.
“Mr Emhoff’s practice will focus on advising corporations, boards of directors, and individuals on their most consequential business challenges, sensitive investigations, and complex litigation, including matters with significant reputational concerns that are international in scope, and emerging legal issues across industries and sectors. He will split his time between Los Angeles and New York,” it said.
“Mr Emhoff most recently served as Second Gentleman of the United States, where his broad portfolio included traveling around the world representing the United States, including at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand, and numerous other diplomatic events, and leading the administration’s work combatting antisemitism. In addition, he used his extensive legal background to advocate for equal access to legal aid and the removal of legal barriers in the justice system and served as an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University Law Center teaching a course on entertainment law. Prior to his time as a public servant, Mr Emhoff practiced law for nearly 30 years, serving as a trusted advisor to companies and leaders in business and technology hubs around the world, managing high-profile disputes and solving complex problems across entertainment, media, sports, technology, and business,” it said.
Will Kamala Harris and husband separate?
Reports recently claimed that Kamala Harris has been blaming Doug Emhoff for the election defeat as his past scandals surfaced and the campaign had to carefully sidestep every one of them. A Daily Mail report said Kamala Harris’ marriage was on rocky grounds as Doug Emhoff was already looking for a space in New York. The statement of the company clarifies that Emhoff will share his time between Los Angeles and New York.
What’s next for Kamala Harris?
Kamala Harris has not dropped any hint about what is going to be her next assignment after two decades of public service. She can prepare for the 2026 California governor election or the 2028 presidential election. She could also take up book writing or talk assignments; can also return to her legal career like her husband or retire. But Harris hinted that she will not leave her political career and hence her presidential return is more likely.
