Three Leading National Security Pros Join Greenberg Traurig in Washington, D.C., Amid Rising Global Risks

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As global businesses face an era marked by political upheaval, escalating regional conflicts, and mounting cyberthreats, the stakes for protecting their assets — and their people — have never been higher. To help clients understand and manage those threats, global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP has launched a National Security Group based in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office that features a formidable and growing team of more than 30 lawyers around the world who have deep experience with, and can provide sophisticated insight into, the often-opaque nuances of the national security ecosystem.

The group is bolstered by a team of leading national security lawyers joining from Eversheds Sutherland and the U.S. government, who will leverage the firm’s vast capabilities in Data Privacy & Cybersecurity, Export Controls & Economic Sanctions, Government Contracts, International Trade, Technology, Media, & Telecommunications, and White Collar Defense & Investigations.

E. Patrick Gilman, a former award-winning Judge Advocate in the Army and global co-head of national security investigations at Eversheds, now serves as chair of the National Security Group. The team also includes Neal Higgins, a former member of the CIA’s Senior Intelligence Service and Deputy National Cyber Director for National Cybersecurity; Joshua W. Johnson, the former Deputy General Counsel at U.S. Cyber Command and Senior Counsel to the Cyber National Mission Force’s AI Task Force and Public-Private Collaboration Center; and a team of other national security lawyers.

Comprised of a network of lawyers who have been operating for decades in a variety of practices and regions across the globe and with experience at the highest levels of government, including at the Departments of Defense, State, Homeland Security, Treasury, and Justice, CIA, NSA, U.S. Cyber Command, Congress, and the White House, the National Security Group is poised to provide steady guidance through uncertain times.

“As clients navigate an increasingly globalized and complex world, they need a law firm that can not only provide expert advice in key areas, but offer holistic legal solutions to questions that don’t always have clear-cut answers,” said Ernest LaMont Greer, co-president of Greenberg Traurig and chair of the Washington, D.C., office. “When dealing with issues of national security, it is more important than ever to have a platform like Greenberg Traurig at your back to help dissect the issue and provide a comprehensive plan of action. We welcome Patrick, Neal, Joshua, and their entire team.”

Greenberg Traurig’s National Security Group acts as trusted advisers to corporations, individuals, governmental bodies, and financial institutions on highly sensitive issues that require both proactive and reactive solutions to navigate national security requirements and processes involved with the public-private, business-government interface. As national security scrutiny intensifies globally for all industry sectors, and particularly for Digital Infrastructure, Defense, Aviation & Space, Energy & Natural Resources, Manufacturing & Supply Chain Industry, Space & Satellite, and Telecommunications, Greenberg Traurig helps clients navigate negotiations and regulatory requirements, execute complex, highly sensitive transactions, and quarterback investigations and litigation.

“Greenberg Traurig’s reputation as one of the largest law firms in the world that maintains its nimbleness and ability to grow reflects a culture of innovation and determination that attracted our team,” said Gilman. “What sealed our decision was the firm’s commitment to collaboration and teamwork. The firm offers unparalleled global reach with integrated capabilities spanning legislative, regulatory, and legal services. We’re excited to join Greenberg Traurig’s incredible lawyers and professionals globally who have deep knowledge of all aspects of national security law, from trade controls and CFIUS to government contracting, creating a truly integrated approach for our clients.”

Gilman, who chairs the National Security Group, is a national security and white collar defense attorney with more than 20 years of experience managing cross-border investigations, criminal litigation, and international law matters. As a former award-winning Judge Advocate in the Army, Gilman brings deep experience in prosecuting and defending criminal and high-profile national security cases, as well as helping clients identify and mitigate risk and exposure to government agencies and developing and implementing global compliance programs and strategies. A decorated combat veteran, he maintains a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance and regularly guides clients through sensitive matters involving money laundering, sanctions violations, and human rights issues before various federal agencies, including the Departments of Justice, State, Commerce, Defense, Treasury, and Homeland Security.

Higgins represents clients before executive branch agencies and Congress on issues of national security, cybersecurity, and digital innovation. He spent over a decade in the CIA’s Senior Intelligence Service, including as the agency’s top liaison to Capitol Hill, as Associate Deputy Director of the CIA for Digital Innovation, and on detail to the White House as the first Deputy National Cyber Director for National Cybersecurity. As a founding member of the Office of the National Cyber Director, he built a team to lead the integrated federal response to significant cyber incidents and served on the Deputies Committee for cyber matters. Before joining the CIA, Higgins spent eight years at the U.S. Senate, including with the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and as legislative director for a senior member of the Senate Armed Services, Foreign Relations, and Intelligence Committees. Earlier in his career, he served as a member of the trial team prosecuting Slobodan Milosevic and as an assistant editor at Foreign Affairs. He maintains an active TS/SCI security clearance.

Johnson brings to his practice two decades of legal experience in national security, litigation, cybersecurity, data privacy, and artificial intelligence. Prior to joining Greenberg Traurig, he served as the Deputy General Counsel at U.S. Cyber Command and as the Senior Counsel for the Cyber National Mission Force’s AI Task Force and Public-Private Collaboration Center. An award-winning national security lawyer who advised the U.S. military’s most elite joint special operations forces conducting clandestine counterterrorism missions and cyber operations, Johnson is himself a decorated combat veteran and former Army Ranger with a Top Secret/SCI security clearance.

The team helps navigate high-profile national security issues before a myriad of U.S. and other governmental authorities, including the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and other foreign direct investment (FDI) reviews. The group’s clients range from Fortune 100 companies to innovative startups and global investors, providing quick, practical legal strategies for cross-border matters and national security reviews and investigations. The group also advises clients on export controls and sanctions compliance, cybersecurity and supply chain security guidance, risk identification and mitigation, crisis response, and investigations.

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has approximately 3,000 lawyers across 51 locations in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. The firm’s broad geographic and practice range enables the delivery of innovative and strategic legal services across borders and industries. Recognized as a 2025 BTI “Best of the Best Recommended Law Firm” by general counsel for trust and relationship management, Greenberg Traurig is consistently ranked among the top firms on the Am Law Global 100, NLJ 500, and Law360 400. Greenberg Traurig is also known for its philanthropic giving, culture, innovation, and pro bono work. Web: www.gtlaw.com.

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