Joseph L. (Joe) Gattuso is a Senior Attorney and Program Manager with the Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP), which is part of the Department of Commerce’s Office of the General Counsel. Mr. Gattuso leads CLDP’s activities helping developing countries with legal, regulatory and policy matters in telecommunications, Internet, eCommerce, data protection, privacy and related areas.  He is currently designing and leading activities for CLDP under the U.S. Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership, with an emphasis on 5G mobile security issues and on South Asia and Latin America. In his work with CLDP dating back to 2012, he concentrated in countries in the Middle East and South Asia, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Tunisia.

Mr. Gattuso identifies priority issues and organizes consultative meetings, seminars, workshops, or other activities to build capacity or to share expertise with government and non-government stakeholders within a given country or region.

Previously Mr. Gattuso was a Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Policy Analysis and Development at Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration.  At NTIA, Mr. Gattuso held the positions of Deputy Associate Administrator for Policy and Acting Director of Congressional Affairs.  He regularly taught visiting international students NTIA’s annual spectrum management course, conducted through the United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI) and has continued to do so while at CLDP.

The Commerce Department has recognized Mr. Gattuso with departmental Gold Medal awards for his work in Afghanistan (group award 2019) and in Iraq (2004).  Mr. Gattuso also received a Silver Medal and several Bronze Medal Awards for other projects during his Commerce career.

Prior to joining the Commerce Department, Mr. Gattuso practiced law in the Los Angeles, California area. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Stanford University and a Juris Doctorate from the UCLA School of Law, where he participated in the Communications Law Program and moot court.  Mr. Gattuso is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and in California (inactive) and is a member of the Federal Communications Bar Association.