Seattle; Washington, D.C.
Robert M. McKenna, partner in Orrick's Seattle and Washington, D.C. offices, leads the state Attorney General team in the firm's Public Policy Group and is a member of the Cyber, Privacy & Data Innovation practices.
A former Washington State Attorney General and President of the National Association of Attorneys General, Rob is accomplished in all areas of public policy, appellate law and investigations. He is a Chambers USA Band 1 Partner in Government Relations: State Attorneys General.
Rob represents a wide range of technology, energy, finance and other companies in matters involving cyber security, data privacy, litigation, appellate litigation, regulatory proceedings, state attorney general investigations and legislative issues. His experience, stature and expertise add essential capabilities for clients seeking coordinated policy advocacy, regulatory compliance and litigation strategies in state capitols across the country and in Washington, D.C., where he has testified before Congress and assisted clients who have been called to testify before Congressional committees. While at Orrick, Rob has represented clients in both state and federal court, typically in cases centered on constitutional questions.
Rob served two terms as Attorney General of Washington, from 2005 to 2013. He successfully argued three cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and helped negotiate three of the largest consumer protection settlements in national history, all involving mortgage lending and servicing. He is a recognized leader in the development of data protection and privacy regulation. Rob was the first state Attorney General to build a computer forensics lab to collect evidence of Internet fraud and passed one of the nation's first anti-spyware laws.
Rob served as President of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) from 2011–12 where he co-launched the NAAG Intellectual Property Task Force to advance the national fight against counterfeiting and piracy. While serving as NAAG President, he created and led a national initiative to combat human trafficking which continues to this day. The NAAG human trafficking summit he hosted in Seattle in 2012 led AGs to launch state-level initiatives around the country. His fellow attorneys general honored him in 2011 with the Kelley-Wyman Award for “Outstanding Attorney General” in America.