Two former White House deputy counsel arrived at Latham & Watkins Monday—one a returning partner and another a former partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr.

Jonathan Su has rejoined the firm’s Washington office, while Danielle Conley has moved to the firm. Both join as partners in Latham’s white collar defense and investigations practice and are members of the litigation and trial department.

Conley and Su were on President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s Day One Team, which began preparing for the administration months before his Jan. 20, 2021, inauguration. The two recently finished service as deputy counsel to the president in the Office of the White House Counsel.

Daniel Lennon, managing partner of Latham’s D.C. office said Conley and Su had both “distinguished themselves” in both government and private practice as “pragmatic thinkers” and “principled advisors” with “deep intellectual passion.”

“Their substantial knowledge and deep Washington experience uniquely positions them to help clients navigate a host of enforcement and regulatory challenges,” Lennon said.

As deputy counsel to the president, Conley gave strategic advice to senior White House officials on policy, legislative, regulatory, litigation and judicial matters. She established and led the first-ever White House Counsel’s Office team dedicated to civil rights and equity issues, and also helped shepherd Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Between tenures at Wilmer Hale, Conley served as associate deputy attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice.

At the White House, Su had principal responsibility for congressional oversight and controversial matters at the White House and across the executive branch. In that time, he handled many of the key issues at the top of the news agenda over the past two years.

Su also advised senior White House and executive branch officials on risk management, nominations and personnel issues, litigation and policy.

Su also served in the Obama administration as special counsel and as an assistant U.S. attorney in the District of Maryland, where he conducted 12 jury trials to verdict.

At Latham previously, Su was deputy managing partner of the firm’s D.C. office and global chair of its pro bono committee.

Michele Johnson, global chair of Latham’s litigation and trial department called Conley “battle-tested” at the “highest levels,” and Su well-known for his “commitment, intellect, and courtroom tenacity.”

Su will represent clients in DOJ, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and congressional investigations and will conduct internal investigations regarding a wide range of alleged wrongdoing, including corruption, financial irregularities and sexual misconduct. He also advises senior executives and boards of directors on their strategic response to investigations becoming public.

Both Conley and Su said the beginning of summer was a natural time to transition out of government to rejoin private practice in the fall after a summer break.

Conley said it was likely the Beltway would see more departures around this time period—particularly for senior lawyers, both in the White House and across agencies.

Emily Loeb—one of the most senior ranking lawyers in the U.S. Department of Justice—left the DOJ in August, and arrived back at Jenner & Block Thursday.

White House counsel Dana Ann Remus, who served with Conley and Su, also left the White House around the same time but has yet to surface anywhere.

Conley said she chose Latham over returning to her old firm because, after working closely with Su in the administration and many Latham lawyers previously, she had always been impressed by the “strength of the lawyers and platform.”

“It has a collaborative approach to serving its clients, and the firm has one of the top investigations and white-collar practices around,” Cloney said.

Su said, since he had been at Latham before, he knew firsthand the “extraordinary quality” of the colleagues and the practice.

“It is a place where I grew up, so to speak, as a lawyer. And for me, there is no better place to enjoy the practice of law—with enormously talented colleagues, and even better friends,” he said, adding the firm has “incredible” clients.