Ron Klain is a partner and member of the Executive committee at O’Melveny & Myers LLP, a global law firm. He draws on four decades of experience in law, finance, policymaking, and politics to advise clients.
Klain has served as a key advisor to three U.S. Presidents—most recently as White House Chief of Staff in the Biden-Harris administration. President Biden described Ron as “a once-in-a-generation talent” and a “fiercely brilliant intellect” with “a heart as big as his head.” President Obama, for whom Klain led the U.S. response to the African Ebola epidemic of 2014, said of Klain that “He took on a challenge that many called insurmountable, and, in leading the team responsible for the tremendous progress, helped remind the world what makes America so exceptional.” Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrote that Klain has “one of the coolest heads and quickest minds” in public life.
Selected by Time magazine among the world’s 100 most influential people in 2021, Ron is a recognized authority on matters of government, law, and public affairs. During his time as White House Chief of Staff, Ron oversaw the administration’s COVID-19 response and contributed to major legislative accomplishments, including the American Rescue Plan Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. At the end of his tenure as White House chief of staff, noted White House historian Chris Whipple rated Klain among the top three performers ever to hold the job, and said, “Mr. Klain had a rare combination of assets: White House experience, knowledge of Capitol Hill, political savvy and managerial acumen. His collegial style kept the West Wing practically leakproof and drama-free.”
His long history of public service includes serving as Assistant to President Bill Clinton and Chief of Staff and Counselor to Vice President Al Gore. Earlier, he served as Chief Counsel of the Senate Judiciary Committee; Associate Counsel to President Clinton, and then, Counselor to the US Attorney General. He subsequently served as a senior aide to President Barack Obama and Chief of Staff to then Vice President Biden.
Ron’s experience extends far beyond public service. In between tours in government, he previously worked as an O’Melveny partner; served for more than a decade as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of a multibillion-dollar investment firm, and taught as an adjunct professor at Harvard Law School and Georgetown University. Ron began his legal career as a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Byron R. White, after graduating magna cum laude from Harvard Law School.
