John J. Sullivan

At Mayer Brown, Ambassador Sullivan advises clients on global risk and foreign policy, as well as US sanctions and export controls, international trade disputes and regulation, foreign investment, and other sensitive issues at the intersection of international commerce and national security policy. He is often consulted as an expert and has testified before Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in that capacity. In addition to his expertise in foreign policy and, in particular, US-Russia relations, he has worked extensively on trade issues important to multinational companies doing business around the world after serving as the US deputy secretary of commerce.

Ambassador Sullivan’s career spans four decades in public service in prominent diplomatic and legal positions under five US presidents and in private law practice at Mayer Brown. Before rejoining the Firm in January 2023, he was the US ambassador to Russia from December 2019 to October 2022. During his tenure, he led the US Embassy through the most challenging period in US-Russia relations in generations.

Prior to his post in Moscow, Ambassador Sullivan served for almost three years as the deputy secretary of state after a bipartisan 94-6 confirmation vote in the US Senate in 2017. In this senior role, he was responsible for both the formulation and conduct of US foreign policy and the management of the State Department’s global operations. He was the acting secretary of state in March-April 2018, among the longest tenures in history of anyone in that position.

In private practice at Mayer Brown, which he first joined in 1993, Ambassador Sullivan has been a member of the Supreme Court and Appellate practice and was a co-founder of the National Security practice. From 2010 to 2016, he served by appointment of the Obama Administration as chair of the US-Iraq Business Dialogue, a government advisory committee of business leaders on US commercial relations with Iraq.

Previously, Ambassador Sullivan held senior positions in the Departments of Justice, Defense, and Commerce in two prior administrations. Until January 2009, he was the deputy secretary of commerce under President George W. Bush, following his service from 2005 to 2007 as the general counsel of the department. In President Bush’s first term, he was appointed deputy general counsel of the Defense Department by Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. In the George H.W. Bush Administration, Ambassador Sullivan was counselor to Assistant Attorney General J. Michael Luttig in the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel.

Ambassador Sullivan received his bachelor’s degree from Brown University and his law degree from the Columbia University School of Law, where he was Book Reviews Editor of the Columbia Law Review. He was a law clerk for Associate Justice David H. Souter of the Supreme Court of the United States, and for Judge John Minor Wisdom of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Ambassador Sullivan is a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy and the Council on Foreign Relations, and serves as a Distinguished Senior Fellow in the National Security Law Program at Columbia Law School. He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award; the Department of State's Distinguished Honor Award; the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency's Ambassador of the Year Award; the Defense Intelligence Director's Award; the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Joint Meritorious Civilian Service Award; the Secretary of Defense's Medal for Exceptional Public Service; and the Columbia University School of Law, DC Alumni Association, Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., former US Ambassador to Russia and China

“An extraordinary if not unprecedented frontline memoir by one of our nation’s most experienced public servants, Midnight in Moscow weaves history, politics, and firsthand accounts into a timeless and valuable portrait of contemporary U.S.-Russia relations. Ambassador Sullivan’s remarkable narrative gives policy makers and casual readers alike a rare glimpse into the makeup and future of one of the planet’s most challenging and critical bilateral relationships.”

Mark Milley, General (Retired), US Army

“John Sullivan’s deep understanding of decision-making by Putin and other Russian senior leaders is rivaled only by legendary observers such as Ambassadors Kennan, Harriman, or Burns. His writing is crisp as he walks us through the critical meetings and crises from Covid to the fall of Afghanistan to the unprovoked war of aggression when Russia invaded Ukraine, clearly describing the various events in detail as if you are there in the room but also, and more importantly, explaining the ‘why’ and ‘what is to be done’ from a U.S. National Security perspective. Midnight in Moscow is a fascinating eyewitness account and a must-read for anyone interested in the most consequential events of our time.”

Fiona Hill, New York Times bestselling author of There Is Nothing for You Here

“Riveting and rich in detail, Midnight in Moscow ranges from the ‘pressure cooker’ of Donald Trump’s Washington to the ‘hot seat’ of Moscow, offering an illuminating account of the last-ditch diplomatic efforts to head off disaster as Vladimir Putin careens toward war with Ukraine. Readers will be grateful that such a distinguished diplomat was on hand for this difficult time.”

Michael A. McFaul, former US Ambassador to Russia

“Diplomacy is an art form that demands greater study, especially when practiced in the hardest places, such as Putin’s Russia. We can’t just talk to our friends; we have to engage with our adversaries as well, at least to understand them better. All those who want to defend American national interests should read Ambassador Sullivan’s gripping Midnight in Moscow—a candid, detailed case study for how to do just that.”

Library Journal

“[Midnight in Moscow] brims with insightful analysis through the lens of diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation . . . A distinguished insider’s view of United States–Russia relations and what a diplomatic role entails personally and politically, especially in wartime.”

Booklist

“Sullivan is a captivating storyteller and astute interpreter of Russian actions and duplicity . . . [Midnight in Moscow is] an excellent eyewitness account of one of America’s most powerful adversaries.”

Kirkus Reviews (starred)

“Sullivan’s knowledgeable text must be heeded…. With the authority of personal experience, Sullivan paints a vivid, dark, frightening picture of Russia in the Putin era.”

• Advisory Board, Center for Eurasian, Russian and Eastern European Studies, Georgetown University.
• Advisory Council, Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy, Purdue University.
• Advisory Board, The Vandenberg Coalition.
• Associate Member, American Foreign Service Association.
• Board of Trustees, Xaverian Brothers High School, Westwood, MA.
• Columbia University School of Law Public Interest/Public Service Council.
• Chair, US-Iraq Business Dialogue (2010-2016).
• Member, Business Executives for National Security (2013-2016).
• Board of Directors, Air Force Judge Advocate General’s School Foundation, Inc. (2010-2016).
• Board of Directors, Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project, Inc. (2011-2014).
• Adviser on National Security Policy and Member, Justice Advisory Committee, Romney for President (2011-2012).
• Vice-Chair, ABA International Trade Committee (2009-2011).