Harris’s husband leaving law firm for role in Biden administration

Douglas Emhoff, the husband of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, is leaving his law firm, DLA Piper, for a role in the Biden administration. 

Emhoff will officially leave DLA Piper by Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, a Biden campaign spokesperson confirmed. Emhoff took a leave of absence from his firm in August as Harris ran on the Democratic ticket.

“Mr. Emhoff is working with the Biden-Harris transition team to develop the portfolio he will focus on to support the work of the administration,” the spokesperson said.

He will be the first man to be a spouse of a vice president after Harris made history as the first woman elected vice president.

Emhoff is a partner in the firm’s Los Angeles office, and his firm profile says, “Mr. Emhoff is currently on a leave of absence from the firm.” The same note was on his profile in August when he first announced his leave.

He joined DLA Piper in October 2017 and his specialties include media, sports and entertainment, as well as intellectual property and technology, litigation, arbitration and investigations.

He is licensed to practice in California and Washington, D.C. DLA Piper has a lobbying arm, but Emhoff is not a lobbyist.

“He represents large domestic and international corporations and some of today’s highest profile individuals and influencers in complex business, real estate and intellectual property litigation disputes,” his firm profile reads.

Emhoff previously worked at the law firm Venable, working on its expansion to the West Coast.

Updated: 2:22 p.m.