Profile
Neal Higgins represents clients before Congress and Executive Branch agencies on matters involving national security, cybersecurity, and digital innovation. He counsels clients on responding to congressional investigations, managing crises, developing compliance programs, and navigating concerns around foreign ownership and control.
For two decades Neal served in leadership roles at the United States Senate and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), advising the nation’s most senior leaders on legal and political strategy, crisis management, and policy development.
As Chief Counsel to the Senate Democratic Policy Committee, Neal led oversight and investigations initiatives on behalf of the Senate Democratic leadership. As Legislative Director for Senator Bill Nelson, he coordinated the senator’s work as a senior member of the Armed Services, Commerce, Finance, Foreign Relations, and Intelligence Committees. As a professional staff member with the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, he led the committee’s oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and of intelligence operations in the Gulf region.
Neal joined CIA as Director of Congressional Affairs, advising two CIA Directors on congressional engagement, leading all agency interactions with oversight and appropriations committees, and responding to numerous congressional investigations. He then served as Deputy Chief of the WikiLeaks Task Force, responding to one of the largest data breaches in agency history, and as Associate Deputy Director of CIA for Digital Innovation, responsible for cyber operations, global information systems, open source collection, and artificial intelligence initiatives. Neal received the CIA Director’s Award twice, from Director Brennan and Director Pompeo, and was awarded a Presidential Rank Award by President Trump.
Neal concluded his decade of service in the CIA’s Senior Intelligence Service with a two-year detail to the White House to help launch the Office of the National Cyber Director. As the first Deputy National Cyber Director for National Cybersecurity, he built a team to lead the integrated federal response to significant cyber incidents and to advance federal cybersecurity policies and programs. He also served on the Deputies Committee for matters involving cyber operations and cybersecurity.
Earlier in his career Neal served as an assistant editor at Foreign Affairs, a member of the trial team prosecuting Slobodan Milosevic for war crimes, and an attorney at a leading Wall Street law firm.
Concentrations
- National Security
- Crisis Management
- Cybersecurity
- Data Security
- Digital Innovation
- Congressional & Regulatory Advocacy
- Government & Intelligence Agencies
- Compliance Programs
- Policy Development
- International Law
الاختصاص
الاختصاص
- Represented a global digital infrastructure provider as it responded to congressional and Intelligence Community inquiries.°
- Counseled a leading digital services provider as it navigated DCSA concerns regarding foreign ownership and control. °
- Advised a Fortune 20 company on international regulatory response following a cybersecurity incident.°
- Advised an international aviation sector company on U.S. sanctions and export control compliance.°
- Counseled a major international hospitality company on novel cybersecurity and data privacy matters.°
- Advised Fortune 500 companies on market entry issues in the Gulf region, including compliance with data sovereignty and national security requirements.°
- Assisted a leading automotive supplier with designing and implementing measures to comply with Department of Commerce ICTS supply chain requirements.°
- Counseled clients in a range of industries on compliance with the Department of Justice Bulk Data Rule and Data Security Program.°
- Led an internal investigation for a major international nuclear company.°
- Served as a trusted counselor and adviser to United States Senators, CIA Directors, and senior White House officials.°
- Participated in the development and passage of both authorization and appropriations bills, including several Intelligence Authorization Acts and the NASA Authorization Act of 2010, which set the stage for today’s spaceflight activities.°
- Prepared senior officials for numerous congressional staff interviews, Member meetings, classified briefings, nomination proceedings, and public hearings.°
- Briefed Members of Congress and their staff on countless occasions, including testifying in public hearings before two House investigative committees.°
- Led and responded to congressional investigations into high-profile matters, including Iraq war contracting abuses, CIA’s detention program, the Benghazi attack, Secretary Clinton’s use of a private e-mail server, and Russian election interference.°
°The above representations were handled by Mr. Higgins prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
- Deputy National Cyber Director for National Cybersecurity, Office of the National Cyber Director, The White House, 2021-2023
- Associate Deputy Director of CIA for Digital Innovation, Central Intelligence Agency, 2017-2021
- Deputy Chief, WikiLeaks Task Force, Central Intelligence Agency, 2017
- Director, Office of Congressional Affairs, Central Intelligence Agency, 2013-2017
- Professional Staff Member, U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, 2011-2013
- Legislative Director, Office of Senator Bill Nelson, 2007-2011
- Chief Counsel, U.S. Senate Democratic Policy Committee, 2005-2007
- Junior Trial Attorney, International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, 2001-2002
- Assistant Editor, Foreign Affairs Magazine, 1996-1997
- Top Secret Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) Security Clearance
التكريمات والأدوار القيادية
- Recipient, “Presidential Rank Award,” 2017
- Recipient, CIA, “Director’s Award” (under former CIA Director John Brennan), 2017
- Recipient, CIA, “Director’s Award” (under former CIA Director Mike Pompeo), 2017
- Recipient, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, “Intelligence Community Legislative Liaison Officer of the Year,” 2017
- Chair, Advisory Council, Harold W. Rosenthal Fellowship in International Relations, 2018-Present
المؤهلات المهنية
- J.D., cum laude, Harvard Law School
- M.A., The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University
- A.B., magna cum laude, Princeton University
- District of Columbia
- New York