William B. Cowen Appointed Chief Counsel to Board Member James R. Macy

WASHINGTON — Today, National Labor Relations Board Member James R. Macy announced the appointment of veteran NLRB official William B. Cowen as his Chief Counsel.

Mr. Cowen most recently served as Acting Associate General Counsel for the Division of Operations-Management following his appointment by General Counsel Crystal S. Carey on January 14, 2026. Prior to that, he served as Acting General Counsel of the NLRB following his appointment by President Donald J. Trump in February 2025.

Mr. Cowen began his NLRB career in 1979 and held a variety of positions at Headquarters and in the field before entering private practice in 1985. President George W. Bush appointed him to serve as a Member of the Board in 2002, a position he held from January 22 through November 22 of that year. He subsequently served as Executive Assistant (Chief of Staff) to Chairman Robert J. Battista and, from 2006 to 2016, as the Board’s Solicitor. In 2016, Mr. Cowen was appointed Regional Director of Region 21 in Los Angeles, where he served until his appointment as Acting General Counsel in February 2025.

“I could not be more pleased to welcome Bill Cowen as my Chief Counsel,” said Member Macy. “Bill’s distinguished career at the Board, serving in numerous leadership roles across the Agency, brings an exceptional depth of knowledge of the National Labor Relations Act and a wealth of institutional experience. I look forward to benefiting from his counsel as we carry out the important responsibilities entrusted to the Board.”

Mr. Cowen holds a B.A. in Mathematics from Case Western Reserve University, a Master of Theological Studies from Wesley Theological Seminary, and a J.D. from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University.