John M. Geise is Counsel in the Firm’s Congressional Investigations Practice. He advises corporations, boards, senior executives and individuals facing congressional inquiries, government investigations and other sensitive matters with significant legal, business and reputational implications. Prior to joining the Firm, John served as Chief Investigative Counsel to the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, where he led high-profile congressional investigations involving foreign influence operations and enforcement of semiconductor export controls and co-led a bicameral inquiry involving federal immigration practices.
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Work Highlights
Notable experience prior to joining Simpson Thacher includes:
- Leading a U.S. Senate subcommittee inquiry into foreign influence through commercial investment in the United States
- Leading a U.S. Senate subcommittee inquiry into enforcement of semiconductor export controls related to Russia's war in Ukraine
- Co-leading a bicameral congressional inquiry into federal immigration practices
- Representing the Democratic National Committee and state Democratic parties in post-election litigation in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona and Georgia following the 2020 election
Education
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Harvard Law School, 2014 J.D.
cum laude; Notes Editor, Harvard Law Review
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University of Michigan, 2009 B.A.
with distinction and High Honors in History
Admissions
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District of Columbia 2016
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New York 2015
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U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit 2021
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U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit 2020
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U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit 2020
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U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit 2020
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U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit 2020
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U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit 2019
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U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit 2018
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U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit 2015
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U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan 2020
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U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia 2019
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U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York 2017
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U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York 2017
John Geise is Counsel in the Firm’s Congressional Investigations Practice. Based in Washington, D.C., he advises corporations, boards, senior executives and individuals facing congressional inquiries, government investigations and other sensitive matters with significant legal, business and reputational implications. Prior to joining the Firm, John served as Chief Investigative Counsel to the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, where he led high-profile congressional investigations involving foreign influence operations and enforcement of semiconductor export controls and co-led a bicameral inquiry involving federal immigration practices.
Drawing on his congressional experience, John has extensive experience conducting witness interviews, overseeing large-scale document reviews, preparing congressional reports and memoranda and serving as lead staff counsel for congressional hearings. He is the primary author of multiple congressional investigative reports, including two 2024 Senate majority staff reports examining the enforcement of U.S. semiconductor export controls related to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
John also has significant experience in complex litigation, internal investigations and regulatory matters. Before his Senate service, he represented clients in high-stakes voting rights and election litigation nationwide, managing teams, preparing matters for trial, taking and defending depositions, conducting witness examinations at trial and briefing cases in state and federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. He has also advised clients responding to civil and criminal subpoenas, conducted internal investigations and assisted organizations in developing nationwide legal hold and discovery processes.
Notable experience prior to joining Simpson Thacher includes:
- Leading a U.S. Senate subcommittee inquiry into foreign influence through commercial investment in the United States
- Leading a U.S. Senate subcommittee inquiry into enforcement of semiconductor export controls related to Russia's war in Ukraine
- Co-leading a bicameral congressional inquiry into federal immigration practices
- Representing the Democratic National Committee and state Democratic parties in post-election litigation in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona and Georgia following the 2020 election
John received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 2014 where he was Notes Editor of Harvard Law Review, and his B.A., with distinction, from the University of Michigan in 2009. John is admitted to practice in Washington, D.C. and New York.