Attorney General Doug Gansler Announces Post-Term Plans

Law firm partnership fits with AG's extensive litigation experience

Baltimore, MD  - Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced today that he will be joining the law firm, BuckleySandler LLP, when he completes his second term as Maryland Attorney General on January 12, 2015. AG Gansler will step into BuckleySandler as a Partner in its Washington, DC office where he will play a leading role in the firm's government enforcement and litigation practices. The former President of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) will also assist firm clients in complying with and managing increased regulatory expectations on issues ranging from consumer protection to cybersecurity and privacy.

"I am extremely proud of the great things we've been able to accomplish during my eight years as Maryland's Attorney General," said Attorney General Gansler. "I will be leaving this office satisfied that our efforts made a positive impact on Maryland and across the country."

"Joining BuckleySandler gives me the opportunity to practice law with longtime friends at one of the nation's preeminent litigation and enforcement law firms. I am looking forward to putting those years of litigation experience to work on a regular basis."

Upon taking office in 2006, Attorney General Gansler re-organized the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and focused his priorities on critical issues such as protecting the environment, advocating for consumers and improving public safety. Among his first acts in office was the appointment of the OAG's first-ever Director of Civil Rights and the OAG's first-ever Special Assistant for the Environment.

In his first term, AG Gansler went to Annapolis and fought for the funding to create the OAG's first-ever Gang Unit to assistant local law enforcement in their efforts to combat gang-related crime and violence. In his second term, he created the OAG Internet Privacy Unit to coincide with his efforts as NAAG President, highlighting and fighting for greater consumer control and protections over personal information and sensitive records that are collected, shared and stored online.

In addition to recovering billions of dollars on behalf of consumers, taxpayers and businesses in Maryland, AG Gansler has secured multiple settlements with the nation's largest mortgage lenders that now exceeds $1.7 billion in consumer relief and assistance. These settlements were acquired as a result of the nationwide mortgage crisis.

In 2010, he issued a landmark legal opinion on same-sex marriage that changed state policy in favor of recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states. This ultimately led the way for passage of Maryland's Civil Marriage Protection Act of 2012. Even before those events, AG Gansler was the first statewide elected official to publicly support same-sex marriage.

Most recently, AG Gansler filed a brief with the Maryland Court of Special Appeals to end the legal limbo created by the repeal of capital punishment. In response to the legal challenge by one death row inmate, AG Gansler is fighting to ensure that Maryland's four remaining death row inmates, each one a convicted murderer, will die behind bars. He will personally argue the case on December 8.

Among his final acts, AG Gansler spearheaded and issued a report to all Maryland public and private colleges and universities, outlining the history, laws, regulations and current best practices for institutions of higher learning. This serves as a resource as they work to improve their policies and programs to reduce - with the goal of ending - sexual violence on college campuses.

Prior to serving as Attorney General, Gansler was a 2-term State's Attorney for Montgomery County from 1998 to 2006. As State's Attorney, he handled several high-profile cases, including the prosecution of the Beltway Snipers John Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo. From 1992 to 1998, he was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, where he prosecuted over 1,000 cases, including public corruption; financial fraud; complex money laundering; hate crimes; narcotic trafficking; sex offenses; child abuse; domestic violence; economic crimes; gang-related violence; and homicides. In addition to his prosecutorial experience, he has practiced civil litigation in private practice.

To read a more detailed biography of Attorney General Gansler, visit:http://www.oag.state.md.us/bio.htm