Paul Ehlenbach named Laboratory Counsel

LIVERMORE, Calif. - Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) announced today that, after a national search, it has selected Paul J. Ehlenbach, a seasoned attorney with extensive experience in government contracts, corporate governance, litigation and compliance, to serve as the Laboratory's new general counsel.

The announcement was made by LLNL Director George Miller.

"Paul brings more than 25 years of law practice and leadership experience to this position, garnered from diverse assignments, including stints as a senior corporate manager, private law firm partner and federal government attorney," Miller said. "Especially significant is his deep knowledge of federal contracting and his legal expertise in the other areas relevant to supporting this Laboratory's national security mission, protecting and leveraging its intellectual property, and facilitating regulatory compliance and ethical conduct."

As general counsel and a member of the Laboratory's senior management team, Ehlenbach will lead the legal staff responsible for advising and representing the Laboratory on all legal matters arising from management and operation of a large R&D facility.

Key responsibilities include advising Laboratory senior management on a broad range of legal issues; managing litigation arising from management and operation of the Laboratory; analyzing pending legislation and rulemaking affecting the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Nuclear Security Administration and national laboratories; and reviewing and interpreting federal and state statutes and regulations, among other duties.

"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be associated with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, one of the premier laboratories in the country, and I look forward to joining a strong management team and talented workforce that is committed to solving some of the nation's greatest scientific and technological challenges," Ehlenbach said.

Ehlenbach comes to LLNL from The Boeing Company in Chicago, where, as vice president and assistant general counsel, he led the law staff responsible for managing resolution of the company's business litigation as well as conducting and responding to investigations and handling other compliance-related duties.

Prior to joining Boeing in 1998, Ehlenbach was a partner in the Seattle office of Perkins Coie, where he focused his practice on complex litigation including disputes relating to government contracts.

He also served as a trial attorney in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice under the Attorney General's Honor Program following a clerkship with the Hon. John C. Shabaz (Western District of Wisconsin).

Ehlenbach has been active in a number of professional organizations including the American Bar Association's Public Contracts Section (Vice Chair, Contract Claims and Disputes Resolution Committee) and the Chief Litigation Counsel Association (past Chair). He has spoken nationally on topics as diverse as litigation management, corporate internal investigation practices, the False Claims Act and law department technology.

He received his undergraduate degree from Santa Clara University and his law degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he taught legal writing and served as an editor for the Wisconsin Law Review and the Wisconsin International Law Journal .

Founded in 1952, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's mission is to ensure national security and to apply science and technology to the important issues of our time. LLNL is managed by the Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS) LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. Members of LLNS include the University of California, Bechtel National, Inc., BWX Technologies, Inc., Washington Group International, Inc., and Battelle.