Admiral Jamie Barnett

Venable LLP is pleased to welcome James Arden Barnett, Jr., Rear Admiral, USN (Retired) (“Jamie”), as a Partner and Co-Chair of the Telecommunications Group in the firm’s Government Division in the Washington, DC office.
 
Admiral Barnett brings a rare combination of experience in cybersecurity, national defense, homeland security, emergency communications, public safety communications and technology policy, invaluable to clients in the financial services, transportation, telecommunications, and utilities industries as well as other critical infrastructures. He has testified before Congress and is a noted speaker on cybersecurity, having executed major cybersecurity initiatives while serving as the Chief of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission. As Chief of the Bureau, Admiral Barnett led major rulemakings and projects in public safety broadband, emergency alerting, and Next Generation 9-1-1, working closely with industry and government stakeholders.

Admiral Barnett has had a distinguished career in the public and private sector. A surface warfare officer, he has over 30 years of experience in the United States Navy and Navy Reserve, rising to the rank of Rear Admiral and serving as Deputy Commander, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command and Director of Naval Education and Training in the Pentagon. Among other personal awards, he has received four Legion of Merit medals.

Prior to joining Venable, he served as Senior Vice President for National Security Policy at the Potomac Institute for Public Policy, a premier not-for-profit science and technology policy research institution in the Washington, D.C. area. He remains a Senior Fellow of the Potomac Institute. From 1984-2002, Admiral Barnett was in private practice, representing cities, counties, school districts, law enforcement agencies, and development authorities in the board room and in state and federal court.