The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has appointed Trent Benishek as general counsel, where he will supervise the agency’s Office of General Counsel. The counsel has 137 attorneys nationwide, and serve as the chief legal advisor to the GSA administrator.
"I am thrilled Trent has joined GSA as our general counsel, as his experience and leadership bring great value to our agency,” said GSA administrator and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient Emily Murphy. "Trent’s legal expertise will further GSA’s role as a leader in procurement, real estate, and technology services for the entire federal government.”
In his new role, Benishek will provide legal advice and representation to GSA officials. He will also implement GSA's statutory responsibilities and serve as the Designated Agency Ethics Official (DAEO). In addition, Benishek will advise GSA policies and regulations, oversee the agency’s litigation, and provide direction to the Office of General Counsel.
Prior to joining GSA, Benishek served in the Office of White House Counsel as special assistant to the president and associate counsel to the president. With the White House, Benishek supervised oversight matters and managed matters concerning the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Ethics in Government Act, Federal Tort Claims Act, and Freedom of Information Act.
Before that, Benishek served an eight-year tenure as an attorney at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a Juris Doctor from the William & Mary School of Law.
