William H Taft IV

William H. Taft IV is of counsel resident in Fried Frank's Washington, DC office. He joined the firm in 1992. In 2001, Mr. Taft was appointed by President George W. Bush as Legal Adviser to the Department of State. After four years of service at the State Department, he rejoined the firm and became of counsel. Mr. Taft concentrates his practice in government contracts counseling, international trade and international litigation and arbitration. Prior to his initial appointment to the Department of Defense, Mr. Taft was in private law practice in Washington, DC, from 1977 to 1981. Before entering private practice, he served in various positions at the Federal Trade Commission, the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, where he was appointed by President Ford in 1976 to serve as General Counsel. Mr. Taft was U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO from 1989 to 1992. Before that, he served as Deputy Secretary of Defense from January 1984 to April 1989 and as Acting Secretary of Defense from January to March 1989. From 1981 to 1984, Mr. Taft was General Counsel for the Department of Defense. Harvard Law School, JD – 1969 Yale University, BA – 1966