Neil Eggleston

Warren Neil Eggleston (born July 5, 1953) is an American lawyer who served as the White House counsel under President Barack Obama. Eggleston was the fourth person to hold this post during the Obama administration.

Early life and education A native of West Lafayette, Indiana, Eggleston graduated in 1971 from West Lafayette Junior-Senior High School. Eggleston earned a bachelor's degree from Duke University in 1975 and then a Juris Doctor degree in 1978 from the Northwestern University School of Law.

From 1978 until 1979, Eggleston served as a law clerk for Judge James Hunter III on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. From 1979 until 1980, he was a law clerk for Chief Justice Warren E. Burger.

Professional career From 1981 until 1987, Eggleston was an Assistant U.S. Attorney and the chief appellate attorney for the Southern District of New York. From 1987 until 1988, Eggleston served as deputy chief counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee to Investigate Covert Arms Transactions with Iran, which investigated the Iran-Contra Affair. Eggleston's work in the Clinton administration took place during congressional investigations into Clinton's Whitewater real estate transactions.

After leaving the White House, Eggleston represented former colleagues during corruption investigations, including Clinton's transportation secretary, Federico Peña, and his labor secretary, Alexis Herman. In both cases, no charges were ever filed.

In 2007, Eggleston represented Sara Taylor, who was a White House political affairs director in the George W. Bush administration, during an inquiry from a congressional oversight committee into the Dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy and other Bush policies that Democrats believed had politicized the work of federal agencies. Eggleston's private sector work included helping corporations navigate regulations imposed by the Obama administration.

White House Counsel

On April 21, 2014, the White House announced that Eggleston would become White House counsel, replacing Kathryn Ruemmler upon her departure in May 2014.