Former D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine joins Hogan Lovells’ Washington, D.C. office

“I am extremely pleased to welcome Karl to the firm,” said Hogan Lovells CEO Miguel Zaldivar. “Karl is one of the most respected attorneys not only in Washington, but nationally. He brings so much to the table: the sheer breadth of cutting edge issues on which Karl has been a national leader—issues that matter to our clients—include privacy, social media, AI, antitrust, competition, financial services, ESG, civil rights, consumer protection, labor and employment, food and drug safety, child safety, false claims, environment, and government investigations.”  

Des Hogan, global head of Hogan Lovells’ Disputes practice, added: “In a town chock-full of good lawyers, Karl stands apart—for his leadership, competitiveness, and team play, all in service of winning for clients. State AG offices are ascendant and are top of mind in the C-Suite and boardrooms. This is why, in addition to working shoulder-to-shoulder with our litigation and white collar teams around the world, Karl will launch our State AG practice. Karl's earned credibility among other AGs and before numerous federal and state regulatory, enforcement, and investigative agencies with which he has successfully partnered, will bolster our clients’ abilities to navigate opportunities as well as threats to their business objectives.”

Elected twice in landslide elections, Racine has over the last eight years built the District of Columbia’s first independent office of Attorney General and elevated it to its current status as being among the best AG offices in the country. While Racine’s national reputation for strategic and bold action is well known, he has also defended the D.C. government in court, saving taxpayers more than $3 billion. 

“In his two terms as D.C. Attorney General, Karl built what is widely viewed as one of the strongest and most active AG offices in the United States,” said Lillian S. Hardy, who heads Hogan Lovells’ Crisis Leadership Team. “He’s a leader in our community, and we’re so happy to welcome him as a partner.” 

Racine will represent clients in a wide range of bet-the-company civil and white collar litigation and investigations. Racine has more than 30 years of experience building talented legal teams that deliver victories for clients. He has tried dozens of cases, argued numerous appeals, and has practiced at the highest level in civil, criminal, enforcement, and administrative matters. He will lead the firm’s newly branded AG practice, bringing together cross-practice and cross-office resources and experience from across the firm. 

“I am proud, humbled, and excited to join Hogan Lovells, where I began my legal career as a summer associate,” Racine said. “I have long admired the firm and its truly exceptional team of lawyers. I’ve joined Hogan Lovells because of its distinguished history, well-earned status as an elite global law firm, and because of the direction in which Miguel is strategically guiding the firm. The best is yet to come, and I look forward to doing my part to get us there.”

Racine’s leadership and accomplishments have earned him national recognition and respect. In 2021, he was elected by his Attorney General colleagues to serve as the president of the bipartisan National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), where he launched a ground-breaking initiative to combat hate, build unity, and stand up for humanity at a time of significant division in our country. In 2022, NAAG awarded Racine and his team the highest honor bestowed to a sitting Attorney General—the Kelley-Wyman Award. In addition, from 2017-2022, Racine served as the Co-Chair of the bipartisan Attorney General Alliance Association. Racine also was the Co-Chair of the Democratic Attorneys General Association from 2016-2020, a time at which the organization experienced electoral success, substantially improved its diversity, and achieved record-breaking fundraising results.

Before being elected to public office, Racine had a highly successful career in private practice and government service. He was the first Black managing partner of a top 100 U.S. law firm after building a preeminent white collar and civil litigation practice. He also served as Associate White House Counsel during the Clinton Administration and as a D.C. Public Defender early in his career. 

Long active in the D.C. community, Racine has served as a board member for multiple non-profit organizations, including the Legal Aid Society of Washington and the Network for Victim Recovery of D.C. (NVRDC). He was born in Haiti and immigrated to Washington, D.C. when he was three years old.

Racine earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was captain of the men’s basketball team.