Robert Silvers is co-chair of the firm’s national security practice group and a member of its global data, privacy & cybersecurity practice. Rob is a globally recognized leader at the intersection of security, emerging technology, and law. Drawing on his senior-level experience at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), he advises clients on cybersecurity, privacy, trade controls (CFIUS and forced labor enforcement), AI security and governance, and crisis management. He excels at navigating clients through parallel proceedings that accompany security issues, including internal and government-facing investigations, regulatory inquiries, litigation defense, and incident response and management. The perspective he brings as a former official in the top echelon of the U.S. government makes him a trusted advisor to boards of directors, senior officers, fund managers, and other clients. Clients value Rob’s practical advice and his intuitive sense of how government agencies will react to complex situations.

Prior to joining Ropes & Gray, Rob served as Under Secretary for Policy at DHS, where he and his 300-person team managed government efforts relating to cybersecurity, AI security, supply chain resilience, China policy, national security regulation of technology, CFIUS and other investment security regulations, trade enforcement, and cross-border law enforcement.

During his tenure, Rob served as Chair of the U.S. Cyber Safety Review Board, leading the federal government’s comprehensive investigations into the country’s most serious cyber incidents. He was also at the forefront of developing cybersecurity and AI security regulations across a range of critical infrastructure and industry sectors. Rob also served as DHS’s senior official on CFIUS, reviewing hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign investments for national security concerns.