Boris Bershteyn, a former senior lawyer in the Obama administration, is rejoining Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, the law firm based in New York.
Mr. Bershteyn held several senior legal and regulatory posts at the White House and its Office of Management and Budget. At Skadden, where he serves as of counsel, he plans to advise clients on regulatory and enforcement actions by government agencies, as well appellate work.
“As clients around the world face an increasingly complex global regulatory environment and high-stakes disputes across jurisdictions,
Boris’ skills and insight will further enhance our capacity to respond,†David M. Zornow, Skadden’s global head of litigation, said in a
statement.
Over the last year, Mr. Bershteyn served as acting head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, a position previously run by Cass
Sunstein. The federal agency reviewed all significant regulations promulgated by the executive branch, including health care, energy and
financial services. Mr. Bershteyn also oversaw federal information policy matters, including privacy, and led the Obama administration’s initiative
to promote international regulatory cooperation.
Before running the regulatory affairs office, Mr. Bershteyn served as general counsel of the Office of Management and Budget, leading the office’s legal team during the debt ceiling crisis of 2011. He also served as associate White House counsel from 2010 to 2011.
Mr. Bershteyn, who joined the Obama administration from Skadden, has a compelling personal story. Mr. Bershteyn was born in Kiev, Ukraine, and grew up in Northern California. He earned his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and then his law degree from Yale Law School in 2004. He served as a law clerk to Justice David H. Souter on the United States Supreme Court and, before that, to Judge José A. Cabranes on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
He is married to Sofia Yakren, a professor at CUNY School of Law. Ms. Yakren is also an immigrant from the former Soviet Union, born in Riga, Latvia. The two met at Yale Law School.
