Giovanna M. Cinelli

   Giovanna M. Cinelli is the Deputy General Counsel at the Department of War responsible for Direct Report Portfolio Programs (DRPM). In this role, she provides legal oversight of and engagement with the DRPMs related to submarines, Golden Dome, Unmanned Vehicles (UAS and C-UAS) and critical weapons systems, to ensure that key issues are timely addressed, effectively, tactically, operationally and strategically. She oversees the handling of the day-to-day counseling to leadership within each program and routinely advises on acquisition, national security, trade, contracting, supply chain, industrial base, and related issues.

Prior to her appointment to the Department of War, Office of the General Counsel, Giovanna was the Deputy General Counsel at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where her portfolio included trade, CFIUS, Team Telecom, submarine cables, unmanned systems, intelligence, FASC, and related supply chain issues. She directly advised the Secretary on foreign direct investment issues as well as the legality of mitigation measures that addressed national security concerns.

Concurrent with her DHS Deputy General Counsel role, Giovanna was the Acting Judge Advocate General (TJAG) and Chief Counsel of the US Coast Guard. In that role, she advised Coast Guard Senior Leadership team on key issues associated with the Coast Guard’s statutory missions including law enforcement, national security, search and rescue, acquisitions, operational engagements in the international arena, CFIUS, intelligence and Force Design 2028. She was a key member of the team that developed the acquisition strategy for the Arctic Security Cutter program and was instrumental in developing the legal strategy for addressing significant issues, many of which involved cases of first impression.

She oversaw a team of approximately 500 lawyers and judge advocate generals and was responsible for the development of new approaches to the more effective provision of legal advice to senior leaders. Upon completion of her appointment as Acting TJAG and Chief Counsel, she became a Senior Advisor to the Commandant and remained part of his leadership team until moving to the Department of War.

Prior to her government service, Ms. Cinelli served as the global head of international trade and national security at a major 2000+ attorney firm. She advised clients on strategic issues related to trade, contracting, export controls, due diligence, foreign direct investment, supply chain, sanctions, investigations, and related national security matters. Over a career spanning 40+ years, Giovanna directly and actively partnered with clients to identify crucial issues and implement their strategic visions.

Throughout her career, Giovanna developed a reputation for being at the forefront of thought leadership and was appointed to three different federal advisory committees at State, Commerce and Defense. She served on these committees from 1992 through her appointment as Deputy General Counsel of DHS in March of 2025.

In addition to her FACA committee work, Giovanna was appointed a National Security Fellow at the National Security Institute of George Mason University, a Board of Advisor member to the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy’s cyber group, and a Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Council on European Policy Analysis. She was the first attorney and non-engineer selected as the head of Women in Aerospace and has been a contributor to the advancement of science, technology and policy issues across industries.

Giovanna’s expertise has been recognized by Congress and the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (China Commission), where she testified on matters related to foreign direct investment and export controls. Her testimony was cited in several China Commission reports as well as in Congressman McCaul’s 90-day study of US export controls. She was named one of the Top Ten CFIUS advisors by Foreign Investment Watch, a Top Sanctions Lawyer to have a speed dial, a Washington Super Lawyer, and a Law Dragon awardee for cyber and national security. She is a prolific author and public speaker, as well as a former US Naval Reserve Intelligence Officer, with a specialty in former Soviet submarines and industrial base issues.

Giovanna clerked for the Honorable Steffen W. Graae of the DC Superior Court and for the Honorable Philip J. Nichols of the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. She is fluent in Italian and French and has been a violinist with the Washington Opera Society, as well as a competitive amateur classical pianist.