WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Chamber of Commerce today announced that John Wood will join as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel on June 4. In his role, Wood will oversee the U.S. Chamber’s legal operations, including ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and representing the organization in all corporate legal matters. Wood will also oversee the U.S. Chamber Litigation Center, which represents business on a wide range of issues before the courts and federal regulatory agencies.
“John’s legal career spans 25 years and all three branches of government, experience that will be invaluable to the U.S. Chamber’s legal team,” said U.S. Chamber President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue. “We are excited for John to join us and look forward to working with him to support American free enterprise.”
Wood comes to the U.S. Chamber from Hughes Hubbard & Reed, where he served as a partner. His practice focused on corporate compliance, internal investigations, advocacy before government agencies, and litigation.
Prior to joining Hughes Hubbard & Reed, Wood served as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. He previously served at the Department of Justice as Counselor to the U.S. Attorney General and as Deputy Associate Attorney General. He previously served as Chief of Staff for the Department of Homeland Security as well as Deputy General Counsel in the White House Office of Management and Budget. He is a former law clerk at the Supreme Court of the United States for Justice Clarence Thomas and at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit for Judge J. Michael Luttig. In addition, Wood served as an aide to former U.S. Senator John C. Danforth of Missouri.
Wood received his J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he was Articles Chair for the Harvard Law Review, and his B.A. with honors from the University of Virginia. He is a member of the bar of the District of Columbia and Missouri.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.
