Rhea Fernandes⏐Counsel

Rhea Fernandes is an experienced attorney and former White House advisor who counsels corporations, universities, and non-profit organizations confronting their highest-stakes investigation and litigation matters.

Drawing on her extensive experience at the White House and the U.S. Department of Labor, Rhea has significant expertise conducting sensitive internal reviews and investigations. She also represents clients in congressional inquiries and government investigations, including those brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Rhea previously served in the Biden-Harris Administration as Associate Counsel in the Office of the White House Counsel and Special Assistant to the President for Gender Policy. In these roles, she provided strategic and legal advice regarding litigation and policy actions on a range of complex issues, including workforce development, equity initiatives, executive clemency, reproductive rights, and the nomination and confirmation of federal judicial nominees.

Prior to her time at the White House, Rhea served as Counsel to the Solicitor at the U.S. Department of Labor, where she advised on federal contracting, labor standards, and civil rights enforcement.

Rhea serves on the Advisory Council of the National Partnership for Women & Families.

She clerked for the Honorable Diana Gribbon Motz on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Rhea earned her J.D. from Yale Law School, her Master of Public Policy from the University of Oxford, and her Bachelor's degree from Cornell University.