Former Google Litigation Counsel Joins Willkie to Enhance West Coast Practice

Former Google Litigation Counsel Joins Willkie to Enhance West Coast Practice

Michael Rome, previously serving as litigation counsel at Google, has recently become a member of Willkie Farr & Gallagher, contributing to its investigations and enforcement practice.

Taking on the role of a partner, Rome will be situated in the litigation department of the firm, dividing his time between Willkie's Los Angeles and San Francisco offices. His professional focus will centre on government investigations, enforcement, and commercial litigation, with a particular emphasis on privacy and consumer protection matters.

“We have worked closely with Michael and believe his deep experience in complex privacy, regulatory and litigation matters make him a tremendous asset to our expanding West Coast litigation team,” Benedict Hur, co-managing partner of Willkie’s San Francisco office alongside Simona Agnolucci, said.

Joining Willkie after a tenure of approximately a year and a half at Google, Rome served as regulatory and litigation counsel for products. Before his time at Google, he dedicated over seven years to Buckley, where he held the position of litigation partner. Before that, he gained experience as an associate at Morgan Lewis & Bockius and Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith.

Agnolucci stated that the inclusion of Rome strengthens its standing as a preferred firm for technology and other industry clients, especially in critical privacy and litigation matters with high stakes for the companies involved.

Rome's appointment comes amid a series of notable senior hires in California this year. The additions include Susan Rohol, former Chief Privacy Officer at Warner Bros Discovery, energy partner Amanda Rosenberg from Mayer Brown, entertainment transactions partner Andrew Kramer from Loeb & Loeb, and white-collar litigators Koren Bell and Marina Torres from Larson and Halpern May Ybarra Gelberg, further fortifying the firm's diverse expertise.

“Willkie’s strong California presence, entrepreneurial culture and international litigation platform are a great fit for the next stage of my practice. I look forward to working with my new colleagues in California and beyond to counsel our clients on their most critical privacy, litigation and consumer protection matters,” Rome added.

Willkie made its foray into California in 2018 with the establishment of its first office in Palo Alto, followed by the opening of its San Francisco office a year later. The firm expanded its West Coast presence by inaugurating its third office in Los Angeles in 2021, a move facilitated by a substantial team transition from Venable.