Former U.S. Attorney B. Todd Jones leaving NFL to rejoin Minneapolis law firm

B. Todd Jones, a former U.S. attorney for Minnesota and head of the federal agency focused on gun crimes and regulations, is going back to private practice after nearly a decade spent working for the National Football League.

Robins Kaplan announced Tuesday that Jones has rejoined the firm as a partner in its Minneapolis and New York offices. Jones, in a news release announcing the move, said he’d be returning to a firm that “shares my commitment to justice and excellence.”

“I look forward to working with my colleagues to help our clients tackle their most complex legal challenges,” Jones said.

The firm said that Jones will be working on complex business litigation, government and internal investigations and white-collar criminal defense in addition to new areas such as name, image and likeness cases and endorsements for athletes and sports clubs.

Jones most recently worked as senior vice president and special counsel for conduct at the NFL, where he oversaw the league’s risk management and disciplinary processes that covered areas ranging from employee misconduct to legalized sports betting.

Jones also served two stints as U.S. attorney in Minnesota — from 1998 to 2001 and 2009 to 2013 — before President Barack Obama nominated him as director of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Jones emerged from a tough U.S. Senate fight to become the first permanent director of the agency to win confirmation. That distinction has proven to be a rare one: the Senate did not confirm another permanent director until Steve Dettelbach in 2022.

Earlier in his career, Jones toggled between private practice and public service and previously worked at what was then known as Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi from 2001 to 2009.