Jeff Smith is the former head of the firm's National Security practice. He regularly counsels U.S. and foreign companies and major universities on a wide range of national security issues. His practice includes advising major defense and aerospace companies and representing major media organizations and individuals with respect to First Amendment issues and unauthorized disclosures of classified information.
Jeff has represented a number of prominent individuals on matters involving public policy and national security issues. His clients include the late Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, the late Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, the late Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, retired Army Gen. David Petraeus, and Martha Stewart.
Jeff is a former General Counsel of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). He has also served as General Counsel of the Senate Armed Services Committee and was Senator Sam Nunn's designee to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Iran/Contra Committee. Prior to working for the Senate, he was the Assistant Legal Adviser for Law Enforcement and Intelligence at the State Department. Earlier, as an Army Judge Advocate General officer, he served as the Pentagon's lawyer for the Panama Canal negotiations.
In 1992 and 1993, Jeff served as the chief of the Clinton Transition Team at the U.S. Department of Defense. He also chaired the Joint Security Commission established in 1993 by Secretary of Defense Les Aspin and CIA Director James Woolsey to examine the security procedures of the defense and intelligence communities and the companies that contract with them. In addition, he served on the congressionally mandated Commission on Roles and Missions of the Armed Services. From 2020 to 2023, Jeff served as Chair of the CIA Officers Memorial Foundation.
In 2023, as retaliation for U.S. sanctions banning dozens of Russians from traveling to the U.S., the Russians banned Jeff, along with some 250 other Americans, from traveling to Russia. He is quite proud of that.
Experience
- Representation of clients in sensitive national security matters, including Congressional investigations, most recently (with John B. Bellinger) of Ambassador William Taylor in his appearances before the House of Representatives impeachment proceedings of President Trump and former Director of the CIA General David Petraeus in his appearances before the House of Representatives Select Committee on Benghazi.
- Major U.S. defense and aerospace companies on a wide range of national security and government contracts issues, including transactions, internal investigations, congressional investigations, export controls, and sensitive national security issues.
- Major European defense and aerospace companies with respect to mergers and acquisitions, contracting with the U.S. government, relationships with the U.S. government, export controls, issues of foreign ownership, and the performance of highly classified contracts.
- In-Q-Tel, the company established by the CIA to acquire high-technology solutions for the U.S. intelligence community.
- Finmeccanica SpA in its acquisitions of DRS Technologies, Inc.
- Major media associations and the Newspaper Association of America on "leaks" of classified information and First Amendment issues.
- Several leading universities on public policy and national security matters.
- BAE Systems in its acquisitions of ArmorHoldings, United Defense, and DigitalNet.
- DFI in its acquisition by Detica Group plc.
- Ambassador L. Paul Bremer with respect to his service as Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, including testimony at Congressional hearings.
- Mark Boal, the screenwriter for, among other films, "Zero Dark Thirty."
- Several former senior government officials and current and former members of Congress in sensitive investigations, including criminal investigations and prosecutions, involving national security.
Perspectives
Recognition
Credentials
Education
- J.D., University of Michigan Law School, 1971
- B.S., Civil Engineering, United States Military Academy, 1966
Admissions
- District of Columbia
Government & Military Service
- General Counsel, Central Intelligence Agency
- Chief of the Clinton Transition Team, U.S. Department of Defense
- General Counsel, Senate Armed Services Committee
- Assistant Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of State
- Chair, Joint Security Commission
- Senator Sam Nunn's designee to the Iran/Contra Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
- Army Judge Advocate General Officer, served as Pentagon's lawyer for the Panama Canal negotiations
- Infantry Officer and JAGC Officer, U.S. Army
Activities
- Chairman, CIA Officer's Memorial Foundation, 2019-2022
- Member, Board of Trustees, In-Q-Tel
- Former Member, Board of Directors, LinQuest Corporation
- Former Member, Board of Directors, LGS Innovations
- Former Member, Board of Trustees, The Aerospace Corporation
- Member, Department of State Advisory Committee on International Law
- Former General Counsel, The Goldwater Foundation
- Member, Council on Foreign Relations
- Former Member, Markle Foundation Taskforce on National Security in the Information Age
- Former Member, Board of Visitors, U.S. Military Academy
- Former Member, Board of Directors, AEVEX Corporation