Greenberg Traurig Continues Washington Growth; Expands State Attorneys General Practice with Former Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler as Co-Chair

Stephen Ruckman joins as shareholder

WASHINGTON, March 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP has added Douglas Gansler to its Washington, D.C., office as co-chair of the nationwide State Attorneys General Practice. He joins from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, where he led that firm's State Attorneys General Practice. Gansler also has served as Maryland Attorney General, Special Deputy Attorney General for Pennsylvania, and President of the National Association of Attorneys General.

Stephen Ruckman also joins the practice as shareholder, also from Cadwalader. He has served as Senior Policy Advisor to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and as Assistant Attorney General, Executive Division of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General.

"As state attorneys general increasingly expand the frequency and scope of their litigation in today's environment, client demand for broad and deep expertise in handling these often multifaceted and complex matters has grown significantly. We are strategically growing our State Attorneys General Practice to meet that demand," said Richard A. Rosenbaum, Greenberg Traurig's Executive Chairman. "Doug's more than 35 years of public advocacy and his successful representation of clients in federal and state investigations and enforcement actions will add tremendous dimension to the practice. We welcome Stephen as well, whose experience at the FCC and in the Maryland AG's office is a significant complement to our existing capabilities."

Gansler joins Michael A. Berlin in co-chairing the practice, which includes eight former Assistant Attorneys General, more than two dozen attorneys who regularly practice before State AGs— many of whom have also handled cases involving multistate attorneys general investigations — and former solicitors general and chiefs of major criminal and civil enforcement divisions within key attorney general offices nationwide.

Gansler's practice focuses on defending clients against attorney general inquiries in civil lawsuits and regulatory investigations across industries including financial services, health care, pharmaceuticals, insurance, and telecommunications. He has served as first chair in more than 50 jury trials and 100 bench trials, argued more than 50 cases in state and federal appellate courts, and won a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court decision in Maryland v. Shatzer.

"Greenberg Traurig remains committed to adding exceptional legal talent in the capital region, and these two additions are another example of this growth. Doug's track record in multistate AG litigation is virtually unparalleled, and his dedication to business-focused legal counsel is a perfect fit with the firm. Stephen's depth of experience in privacy, data security, and telecommunications law further strengthens our already formidable capabilities in Washington," said Ernest LaMont Greer, Greenberg Traurig's Co-President and Chairman of the firm's Washington office.

"Greenberg Traurig's footprint of offices staffed with extraordinary legal talent in top markets throughout the country provides the perfect platform to further expand a premiere State Attorneys General Practice," Gansler said. "We look forward to collaborating with teams across the firm to serve clients who require highly skilled counsel experienced in both federal and state enforcement actions."

During his government service, Gansler served as Montgomery County State's Attorney from 1999 to 2007 and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia from 1992 to 1998. He was subsequently appointed Special Deputy Attorney General of Pennsylvania to investigate improper email use by state judges and employees. He also serves as an adjunct professor at American University Washington College of Law and is a frequent guest lecturer at law schools throughout the United States. Gansler received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and his B.A., cum laude, from Yale University. 

Ruckman focuses his practice on federal and state investigations and enforcement actions involving privacy, cyber risk, data security, telecommunications, and technology regulation. At the FCC, he led efforts to modernize enforcement of online privacy protections and coordinated inter-agency and state-federal enforcement initiatives. At the Maryland attorney general's office, he served as the first director of the state's Internet Privacy and Safety Unit, overseeing multistate investigations into internet privacy and data security, and litigated matters in state and federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. One of his primary areas of practices is in the higher education sector. He served five years as senior adviser to the president for policy at Johns Hopkins University, where he led policy planning and co-authored university-wide policies on data retention, intellectual property, and online privacy.

Ruckman received his J.D. from Yale Law School, M.A.R. from Yale Divinity School, M.Sc., with distinction, from London School of Economics and Political Science as a Fulbright Scholar, and his B.A., magna cum laude, from Amherst College.

Recent additions in Washington, D.C., include E. Patrick Gilman, a former award-winning Judge Advocate in the Army as chair of Greenberg Traurig's National Security Group, Neal Higgins, a former member of the CIA's Senior Intelligence Service and Deputy National Cyber Director for National Cybersecurity, and Joshua W. Johnson, the former Deputy General Counsel at U.S. Cyber Command and Senior Counsel to the Cyber National Mission Force's AI Task Force and Public-Private Collaboration Center. Luciano (Lu) Racco also recently joined as shareholder in the International Trade Practice and National Security Group.

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has approximately 3,100 lawyers across 51 locations in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. The firm's broad geographic and practice range enables the delivery of innovative and strategic legal services across borders and industries. Recognized as a 2025 BTI "Best of the Best Recommended Law Firm" by general counsel for trust and relationship management, Greenberg Traurig is consistently ranked among the top firms on the Am Law Global 100, NLJ 500, and Law360 400. Greenberg Traurig is also known for its philanthropic giving, culture, innovation, and pro bono work. Web: www.gtlaw.com.

SOURCE Greenberg Traurig, LLP