Hampton Dellinger, once at the helm of a federal watchdog agency until Donald Trump showed him the door, has resurfaced in private practice—this time as a litigation partner with Foley Hoag in Washington, D.C.
The move marks the latest turn in a turbulent chapter for Dellinger, who led the U.S. Office of Special Counsel before his removal set off a legal clash over presidential authority. Though he fought the dismissal, an appeals court ultimately cleared the way for Trump’s action, and Dellinger bowed out rather than chase what he called “long odds” at the Supreme Court.
Now, the Boston-rooted Foley Hoag has brought him aboard, citing his deep experience at the Department of Justice and in private practice. For Dellinger, the attraction runs both ways—he pointed to the firm’s record of taking on bold cases, from environmental nonprofits suing the EPA and Citibank over frozen clean-energy funds to standing up in court against Trump-era orders that targeted fellow law firms.
“I admire the fearlessness,” Dellinger said, adding that he intends to advise clients across energy, healthcare, life sciences, and education, while also helping organizations navigate the shifting currents of federal oversight.
With his entry into Foley Hoag, the once-ousted watchdog is now poised to play offense in the nation’s capital legal arena—this time, from the other side of the table.
