On August 20, 2025, Foley Hoag, a prominent Boston-based law firm with a reputation for taking on high-profile legal battles, announced the hiring of Hampton Dellinger as a partner in its Washington, D.C. office. Dellinger, the former head of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), steps into private practice after a turbulent year marked by his abrupt dismissal from the federal agency and a closely watched legal fight over presidential power and agency independence.
Dellinger’s new role at Foley Hoag will see him representing private industry clients in court challenges to presidential orders, a task he says is both timely and necessary in today’s shifting political landscape. According to Reuters, Dellinger explained that he was drawn to Foley Hoag because the firm has been "unafraid and undeterred" in taking on significant legal matters, particularly those involving challenges to the Trump administration. He specifically praised the firm’s representation of environmental groups in ongoing litigation against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Citibank, where billions of dollars in funding for solar and other projects have been frozen as a result of federal spending cuts.
“The firm has been undeterred to take on any legal matter, no matter who is on the other side,” Dellinger said in an interview with Bloomberg Law. “I really admire Foley Hoag’s willingness to stand up for others in the legal community that have been singled out unfairly,” he added, echoing his appreciation for the firm’s advocacy on behalf of law firms and organizations targeted by Trump-era executive orders.
Dellinger’s move to Foley Hoag comes after a dramatic chapter in his career as a government watchdog. Appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate in 2024 to a five-year term, Dellinger was tasked with leading the OSC, an independent agency charged with protecting federal employees from retaliation. But in February 2025, President Donald Trump abruptly fired him without explanation—a move Dellinger immediately challenged in court.
Initially, Dellinger won a temporary restraining order and summary judgment, allowing him to briefly retain his position. However, the victory was short-lived. The D.C. Circuit Court ultimately sided with the Trump administration, upholding the president’s authority to remove him from office. Dellinger, weighing his options, chose not to take the case to the Supreme Court, citing the lengthy timeline and the long odds of prevailing before a conservative-leaning bench. As he told Reuters, “the odds of him ultimately prevailing before the U.S. Supreme Court were long.”
The legal battle over Dellinger’s removal was more than a personal fight—it became an early test case for President Trump’s broader efforts to reshape the federal government by reining in independent agencies and replacing their leaders. In Dellinger’s view, the implications are far-reaching. “Now that the president can dismiss employees at his will, I don’t think we can call it an independent agency,” he remarked to Bloomberg Law, underscoring his concerns about the erosion of agency autonomy and the potential chilling effect on federal employee protections.
The Office of Special Counsel itself declined to comment on the episode, but the ripples from Dellinger’s departure have been felt throughout the legal and political community. His case highlighted the fragile balance between executive power and agency independence—a debate that continues to animate legal circles and drive headlines in Washington.
For Foley Hoag, Dellinger’s arrival is the latest in a string of high-profile hires. In recent months, the firm has welcomed former White House counsel Greg Craig, life sciences attorney Jay G. Reilly in D.C., and former U.S. Department of Health and Human Services attorney Caroline Farrell in New York. According to Bloomberg Law, these additions are part of a broader strategy to bolster the firm’s expertise in complex litigation and regulatory matters, particularly those involving clashes with the federal government.
Dellinger’s own career trajectory reflects this focus. Before his stint at the OSC, he served as assistant attorney general for legal policy at the Department of Justice, and he was previously a partner at Boies Schiller Flexner. His background spans government service and private practice, giving him a unique vantage point on the interplay between law, politics, and public interest advocacy.
At Foley Hoag, Dellinger plans to advise clients in a range of sectors, including energy, healthcare, and life sciences. He will also help companies, nonprofits, and universities respond to actions by the administration—whether those actions involve regulatory changes, funding freezes, or direct legal challenges. As Reuters noted, Dellinger’s expertise is expected to be particularly valuable for organizations navigating the uncertainties of shifting federal priorities and enforcement regimes.
The firm’s willingness to challenge the Trump administration has not been without risk. Foley Hoag was one of just a handful of large law firms to sign onto court briefs supporting legal challenges to Trump-era orders that targeted other law firms. The firm itself was among five specifically named in executive orders that withdrew security clearances and barred federal building access for its personnel—an unusual and contentious move that underscored the high stakes of legal advocacy in politically charged times.
Dellinger acknowledged that Foley Hoag’s record on these issues factored heavily into his decision to join the firm. “It made a difference to me that Foley Hoag has shown a willingness to challenge President Donald Trump and support those who have been targeted by his administration,” he told Bloomberg Law. The firm’s track record, he suggested, signals a broader commitment to the rule of law and the defense of democratic institutions—values he says are more important than ever.
As Dellinger embarks on this new chapter, his experience at the intersection of public service and private practice positions him as a key player in the ongoing debates over executive authority, agency independence, and the role of the legal profession in checking political power. Whether representing environmental groups fighting climate change funding cuts or advising corporations on regulatory compliance, Dellinger’s work at Foley Hoag is likely to keep him at the center of some of the most consequential legal battles of the day.
In a season marked by shifting alliances and legal uncertainty, Dellinger’s move to Foley Hoag is a reminder of how the intersection of law and politics continues to shape the careers of those at the heart of Washington’s legal community—and how the fight over agency independence and presidential power is far from settled.
