Foley Partner Appointed Deputy General Counsel of U.S. Department of Commerce

Nicole Y. Lamb-Hale Receives High Profile Presidential Appointment. 

Foley announced today that Nicole Y. Lamb-Hale, managing partner of the firm’s Detroit office and member of its Bankruptcy & Business Reorganizations and Finance & Financial Services Practices, and Automotive Industry Team has been appointed Deputy General Counsel of the United States Department of Commerce.

Among Lamb-Hale’s responsibilities will be advising on legal issues and providing policy direction to the 14 legal offices that fall within the jurisdiction of the Department of Commerce. In addition, she will play a key role in managing more than 325 attorneys on staff in the Department. Lamb-Hale will work alongside newly appointed Department of Commerce General Counsel Cameron Kerry.

“I am very honored by this appointment and look forward to furthering the President’s agenda including the restoration of American industry to preeminence,” said Lamb-Hale. “It will be a privilege to work with Cameron Kerry in this effort.”

Lamb-Hale has been a partner with Foley since 2003. She has extensive experience counseling clients on significant business transactions and legal issues, including bankruptcy. Lamb-Hale has served as counsel for Chapter 11 debtors, secured lenders, creditors’ committees and equity holders. She also regularly represents significant automotive Tier 1 suppliers and customers in troubled supplier workouts and bankruptcy proceedings and has served as both bond and underwriters’ counsel in multi-million dollar public finance transactions for bond issuers.

While with Foley she maintained a high level of community and civic involvement, including her service as vice chair of the board of directors of the Michigan Land Bank Fast Track Authority, by appointment of Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm and her service on the Board of Trustees of Leadership Detroit. She is also an active member of the following community service organizations: The Links Incorporated, Jack and Jill of America, Inc. and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

“We are extremely proud that Nicole was chosen for this honor,” said Ralf Böer, Foley’s chairman and CEO. Her broad depth of experience and strong leadership skills make her the ideal individual to fill this important role. We thank her for her considerable contributions to Foley and wish her the very best as she embarks on this next phase of her legal career.”

Lamb-Hale received her law degree from Harvard Law School in 1991 and her undergraduate degree from University of Michigan in 1988 with high honors. A former Harvard classmate of President Obama, she was a strong supporter of his Presidential campaign, serving as a Co-Chair and Deputy General Counsel of the campaign’s efforts in Michigan. She was also an active member of the Obama campaign’s National Finance Committee and African American Advisory Team.

Foley & Lardner LLP continually evolves to meet the changing legal needs of our clients. Our team-based approach, proprietary client service technology, and practice depth enhance client relationships while seeing clients through their most complex legal challenges. The BTI Consulting Group (Wellesley, Massachusetts) recently recognized Foley as one of the top four law firms shaping the U.S. legal market, while CIO magazine has named Foley to its CIO 100 list six times for our client-focused technology. With more than 1,000 attorneys in 21 offices and more than 50 practices, count on Foley for high-caliber business and legal insight.