W. Neil Eggleston

Neil Eggleston is a litigation partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

Neil has a distinguished record of public service, and has held a number of senior government roles. He was White House Counsel to President Obama from 2014 to 2017, and advised the president on all legal and constitutional issues across a broad spectrum of domestic and foreign policy matters. Neil’s practice focuses on enforcement defense including at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), U.S. Attorney’s Offices, and other enforcement agencies. Earlier in his career, Neil served as Associate Counsel to President Clinton from 1993 to 1994. He also served as Deputy Chief Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee Investigating the Iran/Contra Affair (1987–1988); Assistant U.S. Attorney (1981–1987); and Chief Appellate Attorney for the Southern District of New York (1986–1987).

He regularly advises corporations and corporate boards on a wide range of legal issues, including corporate governance, civil litigation, internal investigations, and allegations of fraud. He has significant experience representing corporate audit committees in SEC and audit-related issues. He also has broad experience advising individuals and companies facing Congressional and regulatory investigations.

In 2023, Neil was honored as a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by The American Lawyer. Clients have said Neil has “good judgment” and is the “person you want to have fighting in your corner,” who “not only offers superb judgment, but also approaches the practice of law with a passion and then turns that passion into extraordinary creativity for getting results.” He is commended for his deep experience in white-collar criminal defense work as well as securities litigation and securities regulation work, according to Chambers USA. In a recent edition of Chambers USA, clients praised Neil as an “extremely sophisticated, plugged-in and smart attorney,” adding: “He’s the guy you want to bring to the table for a big board meeting.” Clients also noted that Neil “displays an excellent manner with boards and senior executives and regulators,” according to The Legal 500 U.S.

Neil served as a law clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (1978–1979) and for Chief Justice Warren E. Burger on the U.S. Supreme Court (1979–1980).

Neil teaches a seminar at Harvard Law School on the topic of “Presidential Power” in the spring of 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023 and upcoming in 2024 and has taught a seminar on the topic of “The New Supreme Court” since the fall of 2021. Neil previously taught at Yale Law School in the spring of 2018. He also frequently lectures at the American Bar Association and similar seminars.