Michael Tierney
Michael Tierney is a seasoned and sophisticated attorney and business advisor, having counseled many CEOs and public and private businesses on various transactional, governance and government relations matters for more than three decades. He has experience as both a large firm partner and a state and federal government in-house attorney.
Michael currently serves as Deputy Legal Adviser at the U.S. Department of State and previously served as Deputy General Counsel at the U.S. Agency for International Development. At the State Department, Michael deals with a wide range of legal issues that involve such matters as arms control, trade, international commodities, extradition, foreign assistance, consular conventions, and private law conventions.
While at USAID, Michael was involved in all legal aspects of the agency’s work and was a key member of the leadership team tasked to navigate the President’s historic transformation of a 60-year-old agency and its strategic transition into the U.S. Department of State.
Prior to his service in the current Trump administration, Michael was an equity partner at a large Philadelphia law firm for almost two decades where he practiced corporate law and chaired the firm’s government relations group. Michael has also worked in the Pennsylvania governor’s Office of General Counsel as a Deputy General Counsel.
Outside of his legal practice, Michael has served on several non-profit boards (three as Chairman). Additionally, Philadelphia’s Volunteers for the Indigent Program has honored Michael for his extensive and impactful pro-bono legal services.