At the heart of every company are counselors equipped with legal expertise to represent and protect their organizations’ legal interests from risks and losses. In 2023, a handful of general counsels have proven to be pillars and legal powerhouses who keep their companies aligned with the law while achieving business growth and goals.
What do general counsels do?
General Counsels, also called Chief Counsels, take on the roles of principal attorney and prime legal advisers for an organization and its board members and stakeholders. Depending on the responsibilities, the work of a general counsel may encompass mergers and acquisitions, trademark protection, labor and employment law, legal crises management, public policy advocacy, tax work, and many more.
Additionally, general counsels represent the legal interests of their companies, align company goals to the law, and protect the interests from operational legal risks. Outlined below are the general counsels making waves in the private and government sectors in 2023.
Note: The following list of general counsels is ranked in no particular order. The selection criteria are based on a variety of factors, including experience, accomplishments, and overall industry impact. That said, while they are highly regarded in the industry, plenty of other general counsels are exceptional and influential.
Devon Engel, Vice President and General Counsel at General Dynamics
Devon Engel has been the Vice President and General Counsel of General Dynamics (GD) Mission Systems since May 1996. He is responsible for government contracting operations and legal functions involving GD’s mission-critical and cybersecurity systems for the military and federal government. Engel draws from his previous experience to fulfill his current responsibilities and put an edge on his extensive corporate counseling expertise.
Before joining General Dynamics, Engel was an associate at Crowell & Moring LLP in Washington DC, where he began his specialization in government contracting law. Additionally, during his time as an attorney in Washington DC, Engel provided pro bono legal services on adoption matters and the successful opposition of a high-profile petition to the US Supreme Court.
Outside his role as general counsel at General Dynamics, Engel actively supports various non-profit charity organizations. His influential contributions as a legal practitioner are actively supporting the rehabilitation of children from drug use, raising funds for underprivileged youth through concerts, and promoting better healthcare for patients with diabetes.
Hilary Hageman, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary at SAIC
With over 20 years of experience, Hilary Hageman works in healthcare, defense, national security, and information technology. She also has a focus on subcontracting, criminal law, export control, and space law sectors. She has a cumulative 4 years of experience as corporate counsel for various operations at SAIC, including national security, cybersecurity, and many more.
Hageman joined the science and technology company in August 2016 after nine years of serving as CACI International’s general counsel. In 2019 she ventured outside of SAIC and assumed vice presidential, general counseling, and corporate secretarial roles at Cubic Corporation and Terran Orbital Corporation. She rejoined SAIC in July 2022 and took on the roles of Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary.
Hageman’s return to SAIC is a consequential move. SAIC CEO and five-time Wash100 winner Nazzic Keene highlighted, as her extensive legal knowledge and expertise will be seminal assets for SAIC in 2023 and beyond.
James Rittinger, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary at Empower AI
Joining Empower AI in June 2023 as Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary, James “Jim” Rittinger presents to the table over 30 years of experience as a practicing attorney. He puts emphasis on contracts, corporate governance, human resources, ethics and compliance, and corporate development. In his new role, Rittinger will take charge of Empower AI’s corporate governance operations encompassing information technology, and government contracting.
According to Empower AI CEO Jeff Bohling, Rittinger’s wealth of experience will be influential in delivering AI capabilities to customers and deploying the company’s critical missions. In addition, Rittinger will be seminal in bridging the gap between government contracting and technology, giving Empower AI an edge in solving complex problems.
Before joining Empower AI, Rittinger was the Chief Legal Officer, Director, and Corporate Secretary at Micro Focus Government Solutions, where he developed his knowledge and capabilities in legal contracts, corporate governance, compliance, and human resources. He has also held general counsel and associate positions at Hewlett-Packard, Dell Federal, Quinn Emanuel, and the US District Court for the Southern District of New York
Matthew Madalo, Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Corporate Secretary at Siemens Government Technologies
Matthew Madalo has been a vital part of Siemens Government Technologies’ (SGT) executive leadership team since January 2020. He leverages over 20 years of legal experience leading SGT’s legal, contracts, compliance, and industrial security and facilities divisions. Other responsibilities under his purview are handling the company’s government reporting requirements and ensuring compliance with intellectual property, export controls, data rights, industrial security, and foreign ownership.
Prior to joining SGT, he gained valuable experience related to legal practice from his corporate counsel positions at L-3 Communications Integrated Systems, Powerwave Technologies, IRIS Data Services, Wind River, and Rapiscan Systems.
Looking ahead, Madalo sheds light on his strategic goals that will hoist SGT’s customer base, company culture, and core values. In a GovConWire interview, Madalo highlighted that he and his team are focused on building robust compliance systems and tools tailored to SGT employees. He added that part of his efforts is to create efficiencies where SGT’s compliance helps achieve business goals.
Cliff Greenblatt, EVP, General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer at ASRC Federal
Cliff Greenblatt is a seasoned legal expert who has built nearly a decade-long career as Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Chief Compliance Officer at ASRC Federal. He oversees the company’s Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) compliance, labor-related concerns, mergers and acquisitions assessment, and government contract claims and litigation.
Greenblatt has a cumulative wealth of legal experience spanning 25 years. He gained valuable legal knowledge and competencies from his previous associate and counsel roles at Steptoe & Johnson LLP, MCI WorldCom, Veridian Corp., TASC Inc., and General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems.
Fostering the company’s partnerships with industry leaders and federal customers and prioritizing legal aspects of any acquisitions for 2023 and beyond are among his significant contributions. He and his team are dedicated to applying legal specialties in cyber, data analytics, public safety, systems engineering and integration, and space and intelligence missions and operations to advance the company’s operational well-being to provide clients with the best solutions.
