Richard H. Langan II, ESQ.

Law Practice

Richard Langan is a senior attorney with over 20 years of experience at the intersection of technology, business, and international law. As Legal Counsel (xWF) at Google LLC from 2023-2025, he managed discovery and disclosure matters across YouTube, Ads, Cloud, and DeepMind. He has also served as a United Nations team leader in over 35 countries, been seconded to Boies Schiller Flexner LLP for SEC investigations, and advised technology startups from incorporation through venture funding.

Richard's approach combines Big Tech sophistication with boutique responsiveness—bringing senior-level judgment and cross-disciplinary expertise to clients who need strategic legal counsel without the overhead of large firms.

Richard founded his law and consulting practice in 2009 (incorporating as LANGAN, PLLC in 2016). His current practice at LANGAN, PLLC focuses on: technology transactions and SaaS agreements, data privacy and regulatory compliance, corporate formation and governance, discovery and litigation support, and international legal advisory services. He has served as fractional general counsel for family offices, venture funds, and foundations.

Richard served as Legal Counsel (xWF) to Google, LLC between 2023-2025. At Google, Richard managed over 150 third-party discovery and disclosure matters across general litigation, patent disputes, and employment cases—coordinating strategy with outside counsel, conducting cross-functional investigations with product and engineering teams, and advising on litigation risk for products including YouTube, Ads, Cloud, and DeepMind (AI).

Richard was previously seconded for six years to the New York law firm of Boies Schiller Flexner, LLP by the firm’s client Tyco International, Inc. At Boies, Richard worked directly with partners in New York and across the firm’s other offices, representing Tyco International, Inc. in litigation against its former executives and related investigations by governmental regulators—including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and state securities authorities. This work included review of SEC filings, corporate minutes and communications, fiduciary liability, disclosure and compliance; and e-discovery and privilege review in response to SEC, shareholder derivative and ERISA litigation.

Richard has frequently advised the United Nations, the U.S. Department of State and other International Organizations in democracy, rule of law, security sector reform, anti-corruption and human rights. He has served as a Team Leader and performed high-level strategic analysis of issues in over 35 countries including: Iraq, Jordan, Israel and Palestine, the Maldives, Sudan, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, D.R. Congo, Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam, Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Estonia, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Turkey, Russia and the CIS, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan.  

Education

Master of Laws (LL.M.)(International, Foreign and Comparative Law) Columbia Law School

Juris Doctor (J.D.), Tulane Law School

Bar Admissions

New York

Colorado

Service to the Legal Profession and Community

Richard currently serves as the New York City Bar Association (NYCBA) Delegate to the International Bar Association (IBA) and as a voting member of the IBA’s Governing Counsel. In this capacity he represents the NYCBA’s 23,000+ members before the IBA. Richard also sits on the NYCBA’s “Task Force on AI and Digital Technologies”, the NYCBA “Council on International Affairs” and NYCBA “Middle East North Africa Affairs Committee”. Richard is the former Chair of the NYCBA “Committee on Foreign and Comparative Law” and as Co-Chair of the NYCBA “Sub-committee for Ukraine.”

Richard is also active in the American Bar Association, Section of International Law and Practice. He was a founding member of the World Bank’s “Global Forum on Law, Justice and Development.”

Richard currently serves as President and CEO of The Wickland Foundation, Inc. (a Kentucky non-profit devoted to historic preservation). He previously served for over 10 years as President and CEO of “The Other 364 Foundation” (a non-profit charitable foundation in New York devoted to promoting art in elementary education).

Richard has contributed thousands of hours of his time to pro-bono clients in New York--including volunteering to Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts-New York (“VLA”), where he represented independent filmmakers and directors.  

Teaching

Richard previously taught law at Central European University (Budapest) and lectured throughout Central and Eastern Europe with Yale University and Open Society Foundations programs.

Publications

Richard has contributed to the ABA's Rule of Law Handbook (2013) and co-authored Administrative Justice in the New European Democracies (Oxford University Press, 1998). He has authored numerous evaluation reports and policy assessments for the United Nations Development Programme, and contributed statements on AI governance and human rights for the New York City Bar Association (2024-2025).

Currently researching AI governance and the intersection of technology law and international human rights.