Richard Sauber, the White House special counsel who represented President Joe Biden during the investigation into his handling of classified documents, has joined Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel as a partner, the firm announced Monday.
Sauber will work from the firm’s Washington, D.C. office, where he will advise individuals and organizations facing investigations by Congress and other state or federal authorities.
This move reunites Sauber with former colleagues from Robbins, Russell, Englert, Orseck & Untereiner, a Washington-based litigation firm that merged with Kramer Levin in March 2022.
Sauber noted that during his time at the White House, he became acquainted with Barry Berke, the New York-based partner leading Kramer Levin’s litigation practice, who represented Democrats during both impeachment proceedings against former President Donald Trump.
“It’s always challenging to restart, but I plan to reconnect with former clients and hope to find new ones in need of assistance,” Sauber said. He had left his former firm in 2021 to become general counsel for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs after being confirmed by the Senate.
In 2022, Sauber joined the White House, anticipating that Republicans would gain control of the House following the midterm elections. His responsibilities expanded when classified documents were discovered at Biden’s home and office at the Penn Biden Center, prompting U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint Robert Hur in January 2023 to investigate whether Biden had mishandled sensitive government materials.
After a 15-month investigation, Hur decided not to bring criminal charges against Biden, citing the president’s cooperation and his advanced age, calling Biden a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” Sauber publicly criticized these comments at the time and reiterated on Monday that they were “inappropriate and unwarranted.”
Sauber departed the White House in May after the investigation concluded. Marc Krickbaum, who had served as Hur’s deputy, rejoined the law firm Winston & Strawn in June.
