Will Godfrey is Director, Mobility, Automation and Safety in the Firm’s Washington, D.C. office.
He is a member of the Mobility, Transport and Safety Group, Transportation Safety Group, and Energy and Natural Resources Group. A former vehicle engineer, production manager and senior U.S. federal regulatory chief at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)/U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Mr. Godfrey is a uniquely qualified senior technical and strategic advisor, integrated with the firms mobility, transport and safety team to deliver full-stack solutions to clients’ problems – solutions that integrate technical and engineering know-how with legal insight to expand business opportunities.
Mr. Godfrey helps clients achieve their business goals and navigate obstacles by applying a current and detailed understanding of the federal government’s approach to transportation safety regulation (particularly motor vehicles), including its programs, processes, and personnel, having spent nearly a decade at NHTSA/DOT in various leadership capacities, including serving as Chief of NHTSA’s Trends and Analysis Division, Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) and as a senior advisor to the NHTSA Administrator.
Recognized within the industry for effectively working with corporate executives, senior officials and fellow engineers, Mr. Godfrey provides manufacturers, suppliers, start-ups, emerging market entrants, technology companies, and government entities with strategic leadership and advice to promote safety, innovation, product quality, competitive analysis, streamlining and cost-savings. He works with clients in critical motor vehicle safety and related regulatory matters, certification standards, homologation, legislative activities, compliance, importation, policy advisement, enforcement actions, defect investigations, remedial action, recall management, automated driving systems, cybersecurity, product execution strategies, innovative safety approaches, best practices, organizational development, and risk management strategies.