Federal attorneys increasingly seeking autonomy and mission-aligned practice

Senior federal lawyers who once defaulted to big law firms are increasingly choosing to continue their careers on a different path, highlighting a broader shift in how top government talent is approaching private practice. Over the past five months, four attorneys with government service backgrounds have joined Scale LLP, a national, distributed firm.

Attorneys Katie Sweeten, Peter Lallas, and Tara Marcus have joined the growing firm, bringing its bench to 12 attorneys with government backgrounds, including nine former federal prosecutors and three alumni of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Matthew Burke, previously a federal prosecutor and member of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team, joined Scale in May to lead its internal investigations practice.

“Lawyers with government experience are in high demand, and it is rare for a firm of our size to have such a strong cohort,” said David Reidy, Managing Partner at Scale LLP. “Scale offers a different route for these attorneys who used to only have one path forward. Here, they have the resources and opportunity to build a practice that reflects their expertise and values.”

Sweeten brings extensive experience in national security and counterterrorism. She served as a trial attorney in the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice and was the DOJ’s first liaison to the Department of Defense, where she worked directly with intelligence agencies, law enforcement agencies, and the military on high-stakes terrorism investigations.

“As a prosecutor, your job was always about the people and the mission. Leaving government service, I wanted to continue work that felt meaningful,” said Sweeten. “Scale gives me a level of autonomy that lets me shape my practice in a purposeful way while joining a team of sharp attorneys with impressive prior government experience, proving private practice can be a form of public service.”

Lallas adds to Scale’s white-collar and investigations capabilities, having previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, a trial attorney in the Justice Department’s FCPA Unit, and a Senior Trial Counsel with the SEC. He brings insight from leading cases such as a $750 million COVID fraud prosecution, a foreign bribery investigation into a major international pharmaceutical company, and the SEC’s first-ever crypto insider trading case.

“Having been on the government side of major investigations for years, I understand how enforcement actions are built and where companies can misstep,” said Lallas. “I now have the freedom to use that inside perspective to build a specialized practice that reflects my own values and the needs of my clients.”

Marcus served as a special master assistant in patent cases before the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware and as a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Scale’s unique economic model lets attorneys keep a larger share of the revenue they create, with realization rates that are typically double those seen at traditional firms. Learn more about how attorneys with government service backgrounds are building practices at Scale.

About Scale LLP

Scale LLP is a national, full-service law firm built for the pace of modern business. Founded by former tech company general counsel, the firm’s 80 attorneys, licensed across 22 states, have experience shaped in boardrooms, tested in courtrooms, and proven in government. Designed for attorneys seeking more autonomy, Scale’s model empowers lawyers with control over their practice and a greater share of their revenue. Learn more at scalefirm.com.

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