Cooley Adds Former House Oversight Committee Chief Counsel to Lead New Congressional Investigations Practice

Washington, D.C. – February 20, 2024 – Susanne Grooms has joined Cooley as a litigation partner to launch the firm’s congressional investigations practice based in Washington, D.C. A former federal prosecutor and Capitol Hill veteran, Grooms previously served for more than a decade in the senior leadership of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, the principal investigative committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, and most recently led congressional investigations as a partner at Kaplan Hecker & Fink. She will advise clients as they navigate high stakes investigations launched by Congress and federal and state agencies, with a particular focus on inquiries involving significant reputational issues and media scrutiny.

Susanne is widely recognized as one of the nation’s foremost leaders in congressional investigations and her experience handling high profile, complex investigations – grounded in her deep, first-hand knowledge of the current environment on Capitol Hill – will be a tremendous benefit to our clients,” said Mike Attanasio, chair of Cooley’s global litigation department. “She is another addition to the cohort of elite, next generation partners we have recruited to Cooley as we continue build a dominant practice that is uniquely positioned to advocate for the world’s most transformative companies.

Susanne is the ideal leader to build a destination congressional investigations practice at Cooley and a natural complement to our extensive regulatory and enforcement platform,” added Andrew Goldstein, head of Cooley’s white collar defense & investigations group. “Her experience on some of the highest stakes investigations and reputational challenges will be invaluable as technology companies and other disruptors face increased Congressional oversight and other governmental investigations.

Grooms brings an extensive record of assisting clients with congressional investigations, other government and regulatory investigations, internal investigations, and crisis management. Leading the investigative staff of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform from 2011 to 2021, Grooms oversaw a team that conducted hundreds of investigations and congressional hearings on a wide variety of matters, and served as the general counsel for the Select Committee on Benghazi.

Cooley has impressively expanded its presence in Washington, D.C., and I’m excited to build a leading congressional practice in collaboration with such a diverse team of talented litigators,” said Grooms. “I look forward to leveraging my experience in both government and private practice to help Cooley’s innovative and disruptive clients navigate high-stakes and high-profile congressional investigations and other legal and regulatory challenges.

Susanne is a fantastic addition to our rapidly expanding presence in Washington, D.C.,” said Cullen Speckhart, Partner in Charge of the firm’s D.C. office. “I am especially proud that she is the latest in an impressive roster of women litigators who have recently joined the firm, and our entire team is looking forward to working with her.

Other recent prominent additions to Cooley’s litigation team include Rebekah Donaleski and Russell Capone (SDNY) in New York, and Ethan Glass and Kathy O’Neill (DOJ Antitrust), Michelle Rogers (financial enforcement), Sonia Nath (FDA), and Andrew Goldstein (SDNY) in Washington, DC, among many others. 

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