Preeminent public policy, lobbying and regulatory advocacy services.
Our preeminent Public Policy Practice can develop effective strategies to make sure you are heard at the right time, by the right people. We can also help you assess, in advance or in real time, what government policies could affect your business interests. We are proud to have the most experienced and well-recognized public policy practice in the US and internationally. Our presence in nearly all the major capitals spans the globe.
Our team hails from public and private sectors, as well as the international community. The combination of our comprehensive knowledge of political climates and regulatory landscapes, together with our grasp of the intersection of business, law and government, has led to our reputation for cutting-edge advocacy work. We are consistently recognized by publications such as the American Lawyer, Chambers USA, National Law Journal, Roll Call, Influence and The Hill. We were among one of the first firms to recognize that all three branches of the government could serve as forums to advocate for our clients in order to achieve results. You can explore our public policy practice in more detail within the focus areas.
As a law firm with unrivaled local connections and global influence, we bring you these benefits:
Decades of experience in the executive and legislative branches of government
A team available in all of the world’s major capital cities
A practical and balanced political approach to achieving your objectives
Bipartisan advocacy teams that can be rapidly deployed to provide government relations solutions
A commitment to looking beyond the obvious and working toward a solution that best meets your needs
Our Public Policy Practice has three main components:
Lobbying, which includes efforts to inform and influence the decisions of government officials, including members of the US Congress and their staff, US Executive Branch officials, and commissioners and staff of independent agencies, as well as officials throughout the world.
Regulatory advocacy, which includes efforts to achieve a desired regulatory or litigation outcome by engaging in the rule making and rule interpretation process, as well by assisting in compliance and enforcement matters.
Public policy due diligence, which includes efforts to identify risks (as well as opportunities) created by proposed legislation and regulations that would affect business deals, such as mergers and acquisitions, financial transactions and major construction projects, and then to respond, if necessary, by engaging in either lobbying or regulatory advocacy.
In the 119th Congress, the convergence of law, policy and politics presents individuals and organizations facing congressional investigations with special challenges. Our lawyers and policy professionals have the experience, insight and network such individuals, companies and other organizations need to navigate their way through the unique challenges associated with high-profile, high-risk congressional investigations.
Over the last few years, with the ubiquity of social media and the onset of hyper-partisanship, the nature of congressional investigations has changed. Today, short-spin, majority-led public hearings and partisan oversight inquiries are on the rise, while traditional, long-form, bipartisan congressional investigations are on the decline.
Our lawyers and policy professionals have adapted to these changes and understand what they mean for our clients. Unlike other types of investigations or litigation, congressional investigations take place in the public eye and can result in substantial reputational damage. We know how to manage the investigative process from start to finish to minimize adverse consequences for you and your brand. Our extensive oversight and investigations experience allows us not to “over-lawyer” congressional inquiries. Rather, we work with you to find pragmatic and effective solutions and, when needed, to implement aggressive strategies for responding to investigations or high stakes inquiries/requests.
Members of our congressional investigations team include not only former members of Congress, but also former key staff with the top oversight committees of the House and Senate, and a former inspector general, as well as former top agency officials well-versed in defending against such investigations from the executive branch. Our lawyers and policy professionals with the benefit of their combined expertise, have brought their experience to bear to represent numerous clients before major investigative committees in the House and Senate, including the House Oversight Committee and the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and in just about every major congressional investigation over the last 20 years.
We have an unparalleled insider’s knowledge of the congressional investigations process, key members and staff, and how to prepare for and respond to requests for documents and testimony, subpoenas and hearings appearance invitations. We have relationships with key congressional members and their staffs, and understand the political factors that drive congressional investigations.
Please download our handout.
Subscribe to our blog, Global Investigations & Compliance Review, where we provide insight on anticorruption compliance from on-the-ground practitioners around the world.
Ethics Investigations
Represented key witnesses in recent high-profile investigations, including, the Investigation of the House Intelligence Committee Regarding the Impeachment of Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, and Investigation of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the US Capitol.
Represented former US General Services Administration (GSA) Site Selection Official and current Washington, DC Deputy Mayor Nina Albert in a GSA investigation and investigations by three congressional committees regarding the award of the new FBI headquarters to a site in Maryland.
Represented numerous members of the US House of Representatives in investigations by the House Committee on Ethics.
Commerce and Consumer Affairs
Represented several companies in different economic sectors in Democrat-led investigations into alleged price-gouging and unfair business practices.
Assisted a for-profit education company in defending congressional and related federal and state agency investigations alleging fraud, waste and abuse of government funding.
Represented Takata before the Senate Commerce Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee in their investigation of the company’s production of airbags.
Represented a home warranty company in an investigation by a committee of the House of Representatives.
Represented Kellogg in its government affairs and public relations efforts around concerns regarding sugar in children’s cereal, and settled related litigation.
Represented Motorola in government affairs and public relations efforts arising from claims that cellphones caused brain cancer.
Tax and Financial Services
Led AIG’s proactive and winning response to bailout-related investigations by Congress, SIGTARP, the TARP Congressional Oversight Panel, the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, and financial regulators.
Represented a major university in an inquiry by a subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee into potential “abuses of the tax code by schools enjoying tax-exempt status” in connection with their athletic programs.
Neutralized congressional, agency and grand jury allegations of fraud and FIRREA violations in connection with the “Bluebonnet” acquisition of Texas savings and loan institutions from US government receivers, ultimately winning a $97 million judgment against the government for breach of promised favorable regulatory treatment.
Represented former US Treasury Secretary John W. Snow in congressional hearings and before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission.
Environment and Energy
Represented a major Canadian oil company being investigated by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in connection with a pipeline rupture.
Represented Massey Energy Company in a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services investigation of the Upper Big Branch mine disaster.
Assisted Halliburton in responding to congressional and federal agency requests for documents and testimony in connection with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Represented a mining company under investigation by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure regarding a proposed mine in Alaska.
Represented Anadarko in its government affairs and public relations efforts arising from its partial ownership of the Deepwater Horizon well.
National Security, Trade and Investment Security
Represented one of the leading companies providing military housing before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
Represented a private contractor to the FAA in a congressional investigation related to the 9/11 hijackers’ pilot training.
Represented a large cargo airline in an investigation regarding the use of CARES Act funds before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis.
We represent clients engaged in all aspects of defense- and maritime policy-related matters, including domestic and international shipping activities and marine resource issues.
We have industry-leading regulatory and Public Policy practices, with a presence in industrial centers around the globe and an unparalleled presence in Washington DC. Our expertise across the full range of legal disciplines, along with our intimate familiarity with how federal legislation, regulations and public policies are formulated and executed, gives us the unmatched ability to provide legal advice, solve problems and advance our clients’ interests with the US Executive Branch, as well as in Congress.
We have deep experience, for example, in the authorization and appropriations processes that determine spending levels, acquisition policy, Buy America requirements, government contracts, export controls and foreign military sales, as well as a broad range of other capabilities to help you advance your business objectives.
Our team has extensive experience dealing with the highest levels of the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Homeland Security (US Coast Guard, US Customs and Border Protection), Department of Transportation (US Maritime Administration), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other relevant federal agencies.
Many of our team members previously served as active duty military or civilian staff in these agencies. The group also includes the former US Senate Majority Leader, who was a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the second-most senior Republican Member of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and a Senator who served on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
The practice is supported by the legal expertise of our global firm, which ensures that the solutions we advocate for on behalf of our clients are grounded in sound defense and national security policies, as well as consistent with existing and emerging domestic and international law.
Authorization and Appropriations Process
In the national security budget process, established requirements for an item or system drive the programming and budgeting process. The President’s Budget is then subject to congressional authorization and appropriations, which are necessary to execute an acquisition strategy. Our team has experience in the Planning, Programming and Budgeting System and, for decades, we have worked with the congressional defense, homeland security, intelligence, and foreign affairs authorization and appropriations committees. We help guide clients through the process to make sure their programs are supported throughout the authorization and appropriation cycle.
Acquisition Policy
How a federal agency such as the Department of Defense buys a product or services determines who will have an opportunity to participate in the process. We have assisted clients of all sizes and in many industry sectors in advocating for or against a particular acquisition method in order for the client to have a fair chance to compete. We have knowledge of where and how such decisions are made and, as practicing lawyers, have detailed knowledge of federal acquisition laws and agency regulations.
We have also assisted clients in manufacturing, IT, government services, financial accounting, telecommunications, energy and construction sectors with crafting legislation to make it easier to do business with the federal government. In other cases, we have successfully advocated against proposed legislation included in a House or Senate bill that would adversely affect a client’s business model. Our years of experience in dealing with national security legislation give our clients extraordinary insight into the legislative process and the opportunity to craft a strategy to achieve their goals.
Buy America
Federal procurement statutes can often impose restrictions on a federal agency’s ability to buy non-US made goods and services in the marketplace. This is especially true in defense procurements. Statutes, such as Buy America, weight bids of US manufactured goods more favorably in the selection process, while provisions like the Berry Amendment strictly prohibit the acquisition of certain types of non-US goods and materials. Further complicating this field are riders contained in defense appropriations acts that single out certain defense articles for special treatment designed to favor US manufacturers. These statutes are implemented by regulations amplified by policy guidance and contain a complexity of exceptions and waivers. We have counseled many US and non-US clients on how to comply with these laws and do business successfully with the Department of Defense.
US Investigations and Oversight Hearings
We regularly advise defense sector clients on complex investigations initiated by multiple government entities. Regulatory inquiries can quickly become criminal problems, and some of the most prominent criminal prosecutions by the Department of Justice began with congressional hearings.
We approach business challenges based on long relationships with the US government. Many of our lawyers came to private practice from US attorney offices, the Justice Department, agencies with robust civil enforcement responsibilities, the US military, Inspector General offices and congressional committees. We understand how investigations work, how strategic responses will benefit our clients and how to avoid or limit the consequences of serious investigations.
Our depth of experience from the government side of investigations gives us a strong understanding of how government investigations develop and proceed, and our contacts in key prosecuting offices help us see enforcement trends as they evolve – sometimes before they actually do. Our investigations team has been involved in many of the largest and most significant investigations in the US, including government contracting matters.
Export Control and Industrial Security
We provide advice about applications of the Export Administration Regulations (including the antiboycott regulations), sanctions, the Foreign Asset Control Regulations and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. We routinely counsel exporters on the scope and substance of US export controls that impact their bottom line. We also represent non-US companies doing business in the US.
Our clients range from small companies based in the US to large multinationals that produce and export products ranging from food to medical devices to the world’s fastest supercomputers. Often, we assist these clients in the preparation and submission of requests for commodity classifications and applications for export licenses.
We also advise clients on amendments to applicable regulations, helping them to understand the practical impact of these amendments on their continuing business. When a client discovers past violations, we often help them to prepare and submit an initial voluntary disclosure, then conduct or assist with the following internal investigation and the preparation of the longer narrative “follow-on” disclosure that results. We have also represented clients under criminal investigation or criminal indictment for alleged violations of US export controls. In these cases, our export lawyers collaborate with our criminal defense lawyers to ensure careful and comprehensive representation.
International Security Issues
More and more companies are expanding internationally in search of business opportunities. While the prospect of increased revenues from foreign markets is exciting, internationally-minded companies recognize that doing business in countries outside of their own can lead to problems arising from unforeseen developments involving international security issues.
Through the combination of our broad international legal practice and representation of sovereigns, we help defense sector companies maximize their success in foreign markets by providing strategic advice on security issues involving countries where they do business while minimizing risk.
Similarly, we combine substantive legal expertise and sophisticated policy acumen to advise sovereign governments on bilateral and multilateral security issues. Our practitioners include retired diplomats, as well as officials from the US Departments of State and Defense who analyze US foreign policy and that of other nations on behalf of clients.
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)
We have represented communities and private real estate and development companies in the past rounds of the Department of Defense base closure process. We have also supported community efforts to redevelop closed bases such as Naval Air Station Cecil Field, Florida; Kelly Air Logistics Center (now Port San Antonio, Texas); Army Medical Center, Denver, Colorado; and Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington DC.
We have represented states, municipalities and private entities throughout the BRAC process, from the Commission hearing and approval process to the transfer and redevelopment phase. We combine our knowledge of the base closure laws, regulations and process with our Environmental, Safety & Health, Real Estate and Public & Infrastructure Finance Practices to provide comprehensive advice and representation throughout the entire process.
Environmental and Land Use
The Department of Defense is the largest operator of federal lands in the US. These operations have off-base impacts on the use and value of nearby private and public lands. We take a multidisciplinary approach to these unique issues, providing expert counsel and representation to clients across a range of issues. We have represented public clients, private developers and insurance companies in pursuing complex environmental actions against the military services involving contamination at base closure sites and formerly used defense sites (some dating to World War II).
We have also negotiated the successful rezoning of private property impacted by a military airfield under the Department of Defense Aviation Installation Compatible Use Zone regulations. We have counseled companies seeking to use military lands for offshore oil extraction, obtaining access to privately-owned mineral rights beneath a military reservation and looking to locate cell towers on a naval installation.
In another case, we obtained legislation authorizing the transfer of a federal riverfront property to a city, which was able to then transfer it to a company to expand its manufacturing facility.
Foreign Military Sales
We have represented several governments in connection with military procurement matters and defense cooperation agreements with the US. This work has included negotiating and administering bilateral military access agreements; legal issues concerning the transfer of weapons, US military aid and the funding of joint-use military infrastructure; US export control issues; renegotiation of foreign military sales debt; legal issues arising under Status of Forces Agreements; and a wide variety of procurement issues related to purchases, leases, and other transfers of goods and services acquired by sovereign states.
Our preeminent European Public Policy Practice develops effective strategies to make sure you are heard at the right time, by the right people. We help you identify, assess and shape, in advance or in real time, government policies that affect your business interests at an EU or national level or within international bodies across Europe.
The European Public Policy Practice draws upon the strength, reputation and resources of a well-connected team of experienced EU policy practitioners to advise clients about the most effective ways to engage with EU institutions, policy makers at the national level and international bodies (e.g., NATO, OECD, FATF) in order to achieve their objectives.
We offer public policy services as a law firm, building upon our strong legal practice groups globally and fully leveraging our 15 European offices with more than 600 colleagues. We enjoy an outstanding reputation for serving clients in a holistic and forward-looking manner, having regard to all legal, regulatory and policy options at hand.
Our team is proud to be an integral part of the most experienced and well-recognized public policy practice internationally, allowing for a seamless offering that operates on any scale – locally or globally – and masters virtually every matter, jurisdiction and market. We excel at providing an effective policy offering linking Brussels and Washington DC.
Knowledge of the decision and rule making process within Europe is critical, as is an understanding of how to approach and engage with key decision makers and stakeholders at all levels. With our expertise and connections we are able to support clients at all stages of this process. Our lawyers are seasoned in the practices of EU law, before both the European Commission and the courts of the EU. We specialize in advising clients on the existence, application of and compliance with the rules governing the EU. Moreover, we defend clients that are alleged to have breached these rules in the areas of competition and trade law, for example.
Subscribe to our blog, Sustainability in Business, for the latest global policy and legal developments covering ESG, sustainability and chemicals.
Our team has the ability not only to monitor legislative and administrative developments, but to design realistic and effective advocacy strategies that ensure our clients have a voice and are understood before the key policymakers in any debate and at every level across Europe and the EU institutions.
We excel at managing complex, multifaceted, legal-regulatory-policy issues with a cross-border component involving the EU and any other country or region, in particular the US.
Combination of Substantive Expertise With Exceptional Access
Our differentiator is an ability to successfully engage in public policy advocacy, in concert with our legal expertise and access to governments, to protect and advance our clients’ business objectives. We take a holistic approach to government relations by considering all possible stakeholders and all available tools that can be leveraged.
Established Global Public Policy Practice
We are the preeminent law firm to offer integrated government relations and public advocacy services in the EU (including its main European capitals) and in Washington DC. Our EU government relations lawyers and professionals work closely with our firm-wide teams and resources in other major capitals around the world.
“One-Team Approach”
Clients rely on this integrated approach to amplify their advocacy efforts in Brussels and with key EU member states that are particularly influential in the decision-making process.
Substantive Experience Gained From the Combination of Senior Government Service and Leading Private Sector Experience
Many of our seasoned professionals have worked in the EU Parliament or EU Commission, served as ministers and ambassadors, or held leading positions in the private sector.
Industry Expertise
We have deep-seated expertise within our European Public Policy team, with specific focus areas including financial services and taxation, data protection and cybersecurity, the information and communication technology (ICT) sector, international trade and the representation of sovereigns and state-owned enterprises – in particular in managing complex, multifaceted, legal-regulatory-policy issues with a cross-border component. The team also has extensive expertise in serving clients in environmental, safety and healthcare matters, including chemicals.
EU Green Deal Simplification Tracker
The European Commission, in this new mandate, has initiated a comprehensive legislative review aimed at simplifying key regulatory initiatives that were part of the EU Green Deal.
This simplification effort seeks to streamline regulatory obligations, reduce administrative burdens, and enhance legal clarity while maintaining the EU’s commitment to sustainability and environmental protection.
Our EU Green Deal Simplification Tracker tracks developments on key sustainability-related legislative measures that are subject to revision or postponement, or for which secondary legislation is set to be adopted to implement the new rules.
The lawyers in our State Attorneys General Practice provide unmatched insight and legal counsel in dealings with the offices of the Attorneys General in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and US territories. We monitor and anticipate trends and developments that may affect our clients and offer comprehensive representation with respect to all aspects of state attorneys general activities.
State attorneys general increasingly join together in multistate investigations and litigation, and their activities affect nearly every industry and major policy area. By working with a firm that has the necessary relationships and expertise to approach attorneys general early, and proactively, companies can address public policy issues of concern before those concerns result in investigations or litigation. We ensure our clients are aware of and engaged with the right people so that issues can be resolved amicably and, whenever possible, without investigations or litigation.
Our lawyers maintain regular contact with state attorneys general and their key staff through participation in organizations such as the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), the Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA), the Conference of Western Attorneys General (CWAG) and the Society of Attorneys General Emeritus (SAGE).
Our practice is built upon a strong legal foundation and boasts the more than 20 years of government experience. Our practice includes the experience of several former Deputy and Assistant Attorneys General, the first Inspector General of the US Department of Homeland Security and a former Inspector General of the US Department of State. We specialize in investigations and litigation avoidance, consumer protection and antitrust investigations, litigation, public policy development, data privacy and information security, and amicus briefs.
Our lawyers and professionals approach each matter with unparalleled legal knowledge and a first-hand understanding of the decision-making processes of attorneys general. We also understand that legal issues before a state attorney general often have a multidimensional policy, regulatory and legal component that involves governmental stakeholders beyond the state. Our professionals bring decades of collective experience to these complex matters, gleaned from working in the trenches with federal and state legislative bodies, key regulatory agencies and independent commissions.
When our clients are faced with investigations or litigation, we move quickly and aggressively to protect our clients’ interests. Our legal skill and professional commitment to our clients has been recognized by the American College of Trial Lawyers, Center for Effective Dispute Resolution, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and the International Society for Barristers, as well as numerous peer-reviewed publications, including American Lawyer, Best Lawyers, Chambers, Global Arbitration Review and Legal 500.
Investigation and Litigation Avoidance
We create customized strategies for our clients to avoid becoming targets of costly investigations and litigation, including building and maintaining strong relationships with state attorneys general and educating them, as necessary, about our clients’ businesses and the relevant facts and law.
Consumer Protection and Antitrust Investigations and Litigation
We offer clients innovative ways to navigate the shifting landscape of complex competition investigations, business combinations and litigation. Many of our lawyers have spent portions of their careers with the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice, enabling us to offer valuable insight as we support our clients’ businesses through each new challenge. We have experience in all aspects of antitrust litigation, including trials, class action proceedings, multijurisdiction coordination and appellate advocacy.
False Claims Act (FCA) Matters
States are increasingly adopting their own FCA laws, and a state’s attorney general is usually the decision-maker on whether their state will intervene in qui tam and related actions. We help clients advocate against states becoming involved in actions against our clients and litigate aggressively on behalf of our clients if they are faced with FCA cases.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Matters
The CFPB, along with state attorneys general, investigates and pursues alleged violations of consumer protection laws. This places businesses in the financial services sector at risk of costly investigations and litigation.
Data Privacy and Information Security
The US has traditionally taken a vertical approach to data protection, with a focus on specific sectors. However, recent developments at both federal and state levels indicate a move toward a more horizontal approach. We can share our expertise to ensure your data protection procedures are in compliance with state and federal requirements, and advise you in case of data breaches involving personally identifiable information. Additionally, we can provide invaluable guidance in how to deal with state attorneys general as they increasingly enforce data privacy and information security laws.
Environmental, Safety and Health Rule-making, Policy Development and Litigation
We have vast experience with all of the major federal environmental, safety and health laws and regulations and their state analogs, which are enforced by state attorneys general. We are also well-versed with respect to both prosecution and defense of claims for environmental cost recovery and defense of claims for natural resources damages. We have been involved with some of the most significant rulemaking and policy development initiatives in the environmental area, including rule challenges before federal and state courts across the country. A number of our lawyers are former assistant attorneys general and we work on a daily basis with various state attorneys general and state environmental protection and natural resource agencies.
Amicus Briefs
We regularly help clients secure amicus curiae support before state and federal appellate bodies, including the US Supreme Court.
We combine legal expertise with political and business advisory services to help our clients successfully navigate the complexities of policy making bodies around the globe.
Our Energy & Environment Policy team is widely recognized as one of the pre-eminent public policy law teams in the US and around the world. Our collective knowledge of “how government works” derives from the skill and experience of our lawyers and policy advisers, many who joined the firm from senior positions in a federal administrative or regulatory agency.
Our Energy & Environment Policy team began when the law firm was engaged in helping to advocate for, and draft, the legislation that authorized the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System in 1973. Since then, our practitioners have served as trusted advisers to broad array of private and public sector clients, as well as sovereign entities, on how best to advance their objectives in Washington DC, Brussels and beyond.
By combining legal expertise with political and business advisory services, we help our clients anticipate and counteract threats, while at the same time helping them to navigate regulatory requirements to advance their business goals and objectives.
Clients
Multinational corporations
Financial institutions
Government investment bodies
State-owned enterprises
Engineering and infrastructure developers
Utilities
Oil and gas companies
Renewable energy companies
Mineral resource companies
Independent transmission companies
Independent power producers
Commodity export and import companies
Emerging technology companies
Non-governmental organizations
Educational institutions
Representative Experience
One of the world’s largest energy companies – Represented in its global procurement of solar modules (over US$1.25 billion) from the largest manufacturer of solar modules in connection with its global procurement from Europe, Asia and the US and compliance with US trade laws.
Thin film solar manufacturing company – Advised this California company in its strategic planning, government affairs and public policy matters.
Ad Hoc Deep Water Exploration and Production Coalition – Represented in successfully opposing legislation that would have negated contracts entered into by coalition members to develop leases in the US Gulf of Mexico.
One of the world’s largest original equipment manufacturers – Represented with its US regulatory compliance as well as its business interests in front of the US Congress.
Leading multinational oil company – Advised on compliance and business opportunities under the US Renewable Fuels Standard.
Negotiated power purchase agreements for the purchase of energy, capacity and environmental attributes from a geothermal generation facility.
Power purchaser – Advised on performance and default standards in a power purchase agreement for a biomass generation facility.
Major environmental organization – Represented in helping secure enactment of the RESTORE the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012, pursuant to which potentially billions of dollars in fines from the Deepwater Horizon incident will be spent restoring the environment and economic health of the Gulf Coast Region.
Sovereigns and their energy companies – Advised concerning relations with the US government and its cognizant agencies.
Some of the largest energy transportation projects in US history – Served as lead counsel in connection with the establishment of legal regimes for siting, licensing, construction and operation, including lead representation of the consortium that secured passage of authorizing legislation, obtained a license for, and constructed and operated the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline System; lead representation of the successful competing applicant for authorization to build and operate the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System; and lead representation from the beginning to the present, of the consortium which obtained the license for, designed, constructed and operates the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port – this country’s only offshore deepwater oil reception facility.
High profile nuclear facilities – Advised in connection with storage, risk management, safety and decommissioning efforts.
Major utilities – Advised on nuclear risk management, storage, and waste disposal issues. Currently involved in a broad ranging industry effort to institute revisions to government programs to reinvigorate the US nuclear industry.
Several large multinational corporations – Developed the worldwide environmental management and social responsibility programs. Directed the policy aspects of a broad range of resource extraction, energy transportation, and energy matters.
Our Team
Our lawyers, senior advisors and policy advisors work across borders and across disciplines as one team to tackle issues for our clients. Several have held senior government positions where they learned how to navigate the government decision-making process, a skill they call upon often to address the specialized needs of clients. They include former:
Members of the US Congress
US congressional staff
Minister of Foreign Affairs
European Commission staff
US and non-US ambassadors
Senior officials from the US Departments of State, Justice, Commerce, Defense, Treasury, Transportation and Homeland Security
White House officials
Our Financial Services & Tax Policy team combines strong public policy experience with exceptional technical proficiency to advise clients on the most important legislative, regulatory, and policy issues. We were central to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act debates and regularly advise clients on interpreting and complying with the many new financial services regulations. Additionally, we have represented client interests in connection with virtually every major tax bill enacted in recent decades. Our tax policy expertise, coupled with the strength of our tax planning and structuring practice, allows us to provide our clients with a depth of technical expertise in all aspects of tax policy matters.
Financial Services Policy
We are an industry leader in representing capital markets participants on public policy and regulatory matters in the US, the EU, and around the globe.
We are intimately involved in issues regarding derivatives regulation, systemically important financial institution designations, the resolution authority, regulation of the insurance industry and the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC).
With a deep understanding of the financial services sector, we are able to provide a perceptive and practical service. Our clients include broker-dealers, commercial and investment banks, critical financial market infrastructure, financial technology companies, fund groups, insurance companies, mortgage companies, and other participants in capital markets. We build long-term relationships with our clients, working together to devise responsible solutions that ensure their continued success.
Many of our lawyers and professionals have previously served at the highest levels within regulatory agencies and as internal counsel within the financial services industry. Our team includes former Members of Congress and former senior members of agencies such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), and the Federal Reserve, as well as former senior staff from the Senate Finance Committee, the Senate Banking Committee, and the House Financial Services Committee.
We have longstanding relationships with and regularly appear before US federal and state agencies, as well as UK and EU regulatory agencies on behalf of domestic and international financial institutions, enabling us to stay at the forefront of regulatory developments and offer direct access and insights to our clients.
Our knowledge of, and deep experience with, relevant congressional committees, federal regulatory agencies and other branches of government enable us to identify and offer an array of solutions that blend our policy and regulatory strengths with our technical proficiency, particularly when an issue demands a solution that entails in-depth substantive knowledge and an inside perspective on how things work in Washington DC.
Our team collaborates effectively across a diverse range of local, regional and international markets and business models – giving our clients a competitive advantage. Our core strengths include:
Advancing clients’ interests before the US Administration, Congress and the regulatory agencies
Maintaining close working relationships with policymakers and regulators
Drafting and promoting proposed legislation and rulemaking language before the US Congress and with regulatory agencies
Crafting reports, testimony, statutory language, legislative histories, briefs, talking points and comment letters
Identifying and overcoming legislative and regulatory challenges
Representing clients in government inquiries and investigations
Building and leading coalitions and trade associations united for a common cause
Enlisting the support of special interest groups, trade associations, grassroots organizations and local constituencies
Anticipating opposition to business goals and developing strategies to engage government agencies to overcome these challenges
Blocking or amending adverse legislation or regulations
Providing legal analysis and issue management on legislative proposals and rulemakings
Monitoring and reporting on legislative and regulatory developments such as hearings, meetings, panels, and conferences
Advising on campaign finance laws and gift ban regulations
Coordinating political fundraising efforts
Tax Policy
Our tax policy roots run deep, from before our extensive work on the Tax Reform Act of 1986, up to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 – and ongoing technical corrections to that legislation – and all tax-related legislation in between. The firm’s tax and public policy practitioners have worked for decades advocating before the Executive and Legislative branches at all levels to assist individual companies, trade associations, and industry groups achieve desired outcomes under the federal tax code.
We frequently advise clients on issues arising in connection with the broad-based tax reform proposals. The substantive areas covered by our client representations have been as varied as the tax code itself, including issues related to international tax, real estate, capital cost recovery, financial institutions and financial products, investment income and a broad range of investment vehicles, general business tax, employee benefits, and estate and gift tax.
We also advise clients seeking to understand the direction of tax policy so they may reflect on the effects of those trends and developments in their own strategic planning. Further, our team assists clients in tax policy matters before the US Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service, including providing advice and assistance in seeking or commenting on proposed regulations and other guidance. Finally, we have represented clients in numerous tax-related congressional investigations.
Because we have a strong tax planning and structuring practice spanning four continents and an unmatched tax policy team, which includes a former member and senior staff of the Senate Finance Committee, as well as former staff from the US Treasury Department, we are able to provide our tax policy clients with a depth of technical and policy expertise and provide expert counsel in:
Drafting and commenting on legislative proposals
Preparing technical analyses of proposed tax legislation
Preparing white papers and other advocacy documents
Assisting in the preparation of congressional testimony
Developing and executing sophisticated legislative and regulatory advocacy strategies
Arranging meetings with key members of Congress and the Administration, as well as the professional tax staffs
Our well-versed and highly adept tax team has led a myriad of successful legislative and regulatory advocacy efforts on behalf of clients in sectors such as financial services, not-for-profit, insurance, manufacturing, housing, health care, energy, communications, retail and technology.
Our Healthcare Policy Practice is widely recognized for leadership in this complex area, leveraging extensive knowledge of US federal, state and local health care law and policy to counsel and defend clients on issues under congressional consideration, on federal administrative rulemaking processes and on federal or state investigations. Our work encompasses legislative and regulatory advocacy, implementation of the ACA, Medicare and Medicaid coverage and reimbursement, and coalition building and management.
Our team keeps a finger on the pulse of legislative and regulatory healthcare policy in Washington DC. Our longstanding working relationships with Members of Congress and senior staff on each of the House and Senate health-related committees, paired with substantive expertise, enable us to achieve client goals through authorizing and appropriations language, or supporting language in accompanying committee reports, and are particularly useful in preventing unintended or adverse consequences.
Members of our team often participate in the development of legislation on issues of concern to our clients and are frequently consulted as a resource for policy analysis. In addition, we regularly interact with congressional support agencies such as the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), and the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC). We regularly provide healthcare policy guidance, strategic counsel and direct advocacy support to health and hospital systems, physician associations, manufacturers and other healthcare providers.
Our team also encompasses a diverse regulatory practice. We develop and execute clients’ offensive and defensive regulatory strategies by engaging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the Department of Defense (DOD), among other federal agencies. Our close working relationships with key officials allow us to carefully follow regulatory developments, including implementation of legislation and development of agency rules and guidance.
Medicare and Medicaid Coverage and Reimbursement
A core focus of our practice involves helping clients navigate the overlapping statutes, legislative changes, regulations, and agency directives governing Medicare and Medicaid coverage and reimbursement. We have a depth of historical knowledge about the Medicare and Medicaid programs and pride ourselves on our battle-tested familiarity with the range of possible approaches to success, as well as our creative responses to challenging problems facing our clients.
Through sophisticated analysis, counseling and advocacy, we help clients obtain coverage and adequate reimbursement for products and services under these programs. We work closely with our FDA team to anticipate and address potential coverage and payment challenges for new products in the pipeline for approval. Lawyers in our Litigation Practice are also well-versed in Medicare and Medicaid payment-related litigation, regularly representing both individual and group clients before the Provider Reimbursement Review Board (PRRB) and in federal court.
Implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
Through our ongoing work with healthcare clients, as well as those impacted by the ACA, we are on the front lines of healthcare reform implementation. We are actively engaged in the ongoing rulemaking process and provide regular updates and analysis of implementing rules and guidance. We have a strong presence on the Hill, implementing defensive and offensive strategies to support our clients’ best interests. We are well poised to address the myriad of ACA issues impacting providers, employers, suppliers, beneficiary groups, states, health plans, drug and device manufacturers, investors and other healthcare stakeholders. We also work closely with trade associations and stakeholder coalitions to address healthcare reform implementation and drive regulatory and legislative changes to the ACA.
Our experience includes:
Conducting ACA impact analyses, including evaluating challenges and opportunities throughout the implementation timeline
Assessing and shaping the requirements for private insurance and healthcare exchanges; evaluating Medicaid expansions
Promoting innovation in program design in Medicare and Medicaid (including Accountable Care Organizations and bundled payments)
Direct agency and congressional lobbying regarding harmful payment reductions and unintended consequences
Advancing the use of health information technology and telemedicine in healthcare reform
Implementing programs for beneficiaries dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid
Coalitions
We understand the utility of coalitions in affecting positive change and the role of sound organizational management in doing so. We have experience in developing comprehensive contact lists, organizing strategic planning conference calls and meetings, and handling external communications and relations for large coalitions.
Our International Policy team was born in 1962 when we began counseling newly independent states entering the United Nations. Since then, our practitioners have become trusted advisors to sovereign governments and multinational businesses on how best to advance their objectives in Washington DC, Brussels and beyond.
As developing markets mature, so too does demand for legal services from both government and business. The enduring relationships we have formed with government officials in capitals around the globe enable us to successfully engage on behalf of private businesses to help overcome challenges, whether they involve routine contracts, multibillion dollar infrastructure projects or matters of national security.
Combining legal expertise with political due diligence, we help our public and private sector clients anticipate and counteract threats to their priorities, navigate regulatory requirements and grow their investments.
The line between domestic and foreign policy is blurring in an increasingly globalized economy. Clients operating in multiple markets increasingly seek our counsel to address challenges they face involving their investments, disputes and regulatory matters. The resolution of these challenges can include a government recourse. Our differentiator is our ability to successfully engage that public policy mechanism, in concert with our legal expertise, to resolve our clients’ problems.
Our Experience
Decades of work for, and with, sovereign governments provides us a strong network of contacts around the world. Generally, the first stage of our work places us in the position of legal or policy adviser to a government on a broad range of issues. As the relationship matures, we are often asked to help stimulate investment. As deals begin to flow, disputes may arise, necessitating additional legal services.
Crossroads of Diplomacy and Business
Supported by our global platform and network of senior government and private sector relationships, we are skilled at “business diplomacy,” i.e., helping you navigate the political systems around the world to create the conditions in which your investments can grow.
Sovereign Advice and Counsel
We are proud to have the most experienced sovereign representation practice in the US, having served as trusted legal and political advisors to more than 100 sovereign governments and entities. Our strength lies in the global perspective of our practitioners.
Our lawyers are adept at interpreting and applying constantly evolving US and European laws and policies in the areas of international law and arbitration, trade, export control and sanctions, rule of law, human rights, international business transactions, immigration, financial services, tax, anti-money laundering and asset recovery. We combine years of experience helping governments address the numerous congressionally-mandated annual reports from the US Department of State and other federal departments and agencies that contain country-specific reviews which, if negative, can carry considerable consequences. More broadly, our defense, financial and national security experts liaise with the Departments of Defense, Commerce, the Treasury and State – and the congressional committees of jurisdiction – to address foreign policy-related needs and concerns.
Business Diplomacy
We help international businesses enter foreign markets and overcome obstacles that can arise while operating there. In doing so, we partner with you to develop a market entry strategy and identify resources, including on-the-ground support and home government assistance. Such efforts may also include building a positive political profile for your business before your home and target countries. Moreover, we help you resolve challenges that may arise by employing legal remedies (such as arbitration or local legal action), trade remedies (found in multilateral or bilateral agreements) and political solutions.
Capacity-Building and Assistance
Governments can find themselves in a state of transition. We partner with many countries to help them chart a path through various reform efforts, ranging from economic development to strengthening the rule of law. We have helped improve the investment climate in Iraq, supported the international integration of Kosovo, brought US universities to Qatar and China, advised the winning opposition party in Georgia’s 2012 parliamentary election on election protection and relations with the US, and helped governments in Africa and Latin America develop the legal and political frameworks to combat trafficking in persons. We also help our clients secure US and EU foreign assistance and other outside technical and financial support to advance their reform agendas.
Investment Promotion and Trade Facilitation
Trade and investment are high on the list of any sovereign government. Our firm plays a key role in helping governments reform domestic law and policy to attract investment, develop investment promotion strategies and identify potential investors. We also help governments strengthen their trade relationship with the US, which can involve securing free trade agreements, bilateral investment treaties or nuclear export agreements, as well as qualifying for and maintaining preferential trade benefits. Finally, we counsel sovereign wealth funds and state-owned enterprises as they navigate laws governing their investments in the US and EU, including review by the US Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).
Legal Claims Against Sovereign Governments and Officials, and Traditional Legal Matters
It is not uncommon for plaintiffs to utilize the US courts and laws such as the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) and the Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act (FSIA) to challenge the legitimacy of actions taken by foreign states within their own sovereign territory. Ignoring such claims, no matter how frivolous, poses the risk that a judgment will be entered by default against the foreign state and its officials. A default judgment – which can be multimillions of dollars – allows the plaintiff to seek enforcement of that judgment against the financial and other assets of the foreign government held in the US.
Not only can this be costly, but it can also often cause reputational damage to the foreign state.
Our lawyers have decades of experience successfully defending against ATS and FSIA lawsuits brought against foreign states and officials from across the globe. We are uniquely qualified to secure immunity and successfully invoke relevant defenses due to our deep relationships and capabilities with the US Department of State and other agencies of the US government. We also represent the interests of sovereign governments and their leaders before the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice and various other international tribunals.
Human Rights
We share decades of experience advising sovereign governments, multinational corporations and other enterprises on issues relating to international law and international human rights obligations that can carry both financial and reputational consequences. Our team serves as counsel in human rights cases before prominent international tribunals including the UN Human Rights Committee, the European Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. We also successfully defend clients against the extraterritorial reach of ATS and FSIA lawsuits brought against states and multinational corporations.
Boundary and Territorial Sovereignty Disputes
Boundary disputes between nations often have considerable social and economic consequences, and can drag on for decades. A government must determine the strength of its claim as a matter of international law, develop effective negotiating strategies, and determine whether the resolution of the dispute through the International Court of Justice or an international arbitral tribunal is in its best interest. However, boundary disputes are not purely legal matters. They also involve complex diplomatic and political elements encompassing governments beyond those in the dispute. If carefully managed, these third parties can align to strengthen a government’s claim.
We represent governments on boundary disputes in some of the most important and challenging cases of the last four decades. We have addressed disputes in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, North America, Latin America and the Arctic. Many of our practitioners are former US government officials, some who were directly responsible for boundary negotiations and arbitrations with other foreign states. This affords us a unique ability to develop and initiate well-executed legal, political, and diplomatic actions to resolve a dispute efficiently and effectively.
Our lawyers, senior advisors and policy advisors work across borders and across disciplines as one team to tackle issues. They include former:
US Senators
Minister of Foreign Affairs
US Secretaries of the Treasury and Transportation
European Commission staff
World Trade Organization officials
US Ambassadors to Brunei, Egypt, India, Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Philippines, Qatar, Singapore and Zambia
US Chief of Protocol
Czech Ambassador to the US
Croatian Ambassador to the US
Senior official from China’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, and the State Commission for Economy and Trade
Senior officials from the US Departments of State, Justice, the Treasury, Transportation and Homeland Security
Our highly regarded Transportation, Infrastructure & Local Government Practice provides strategic counsel to public and private sector domestic and international clients on a wide range of congressional executive branch policy, and legislative and regulatory matters, as well as on state and local public sector infrastructure investment and opportunities.
Our emphasis is on creative federal funding and financing, infrastructure development and opening markets for clients. Our professionals are pioneers in helping companies invest in and introduce products to the transportation and infrastructure markets. We represent clients on the full spectrum of transportation and infrastructure issues and have established a long and successful track record working on behalf of public and private sector clients, including:
State and local governments
Airports
Port authorities
Corporations
Universities
Transit authorities
Water and wastewater utilities
Coalitions
Public-private partnerships (P3)
Non-profits
Widely recognized for innovation, creativity and deep connections, our practitioners offer an exceptional portfolio of success, having secured billions of US dollars in funding for a diverse range of public sector client initiatives and expanded market share for our private sector clients.
Creative Approaches to Federal Funding
Members of the team counsel corporations, trade associations, local governments and other public entities on congressional and executive branch policy, legislative and regulatory matters, with an emphasis on creative federal funding and infrastructure development. We have secured funding for major transportation, water and other local government client projects through authorizing legislation, appropriations, grants and innovative financing. For private sector clients, the team focuses on identifying and expanding market opportunities.
At the core of our approach is the development of substantive, comprehensive and creative strategies to increase federal funding for public agency and local government clients in highways, transit, aviation, water, wastewater, economic development, urban revitalization, housing, law enforcement, health, historic preservation and other areas. To achieve maximum benefit for clients we develop and propose new programs, changes in eligibility requirements and funding formulas and new financing mechanisms, and we advocate to get the proposals and changes enacted into law.
We also assist major domestic and international corporations in removing outmoded and costly legislative, regulatory and policy barriers, expanding market access and increasing competition. Members of our practice have secured legislative and policy incentives promoting innovative project delivery and advanced technologies, saving time and money in transportation projects and creating market opportunities. In particular, we have resolved complex Buy America, hazardous materials, motor carrier, rail, pipeline, maritime and vehicle safety legislative, regulatory and compliance issues in Congress and at the US Department of Transportation (DOT).
Deep Experience with DOT, OMB and Congress
We have been involved in the development of every surface transportation and aviation reauthorization proposal and DOT appropriations act over the last 30 years, and the practice is distinguished by the presence of a former secretary of transportation and a 13-year veteran of the Office of the Secretary of DOT, who brings substantial insights into policy, programs and authorizing and appropriations legislation before the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Congress.
Innovative Water Infrastructure Practice
Over the next 25 years, more than US$2 trillion needs to be invested in US water infrastructure for drinking water and wastewater projects alone. By all accounts, traditional resources and programs are insufficient to meet these needs. New approaches and partnerships are essential. This is our focus. With communities confronting increasing costs and constrained resources, we have been at the forefront of helping utilities and local governments address their water infrastructure challenges through innovative strategies and public-private solutions.
Creating Powerful New Tools for Water Infrastructure Investment
We worked with the nation’s leading water utility associations to develop the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) and led the multi-year advocacy effort to enact it into law in June 2014. This landmark new program will provide federal loans for water infrastructure projects at US Treasury interest rates, providing an unparalleled source of low cost capital for water infrastructure projects, and particularly public-private partnerships (P3). WIFIA is open to all types of drinking water and wastewater projects, as well as projects under the Army Corps of Engineers for flood control, navigation and other purposes.
WIFIA expressly allows private entities to apply for and receive low-cost WIFIA financing as part of P3 projects. The availability and cost of capital is always a critical issue in P3 projects. With WIFIA, private partners and concessionaires will have access to an unprecedented, low-cost financing tool to facilitate P3 deals. We are in an unparalleled position to help companies and communities take advantage of this powerful new financing tool.
The Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA), which included WIFIA, also created a new Water Infrastructure Public Private Partnership program for Army Corps of Engineers projects. This new P3 program can open a new frontier for private investment in major water infrastructure projects ranging from locks and dams to port infrastructure and water supply projects.
Working with Communities to Meet Their Water Infrastructure Needs
We have one of the preeminent municipal government and public agency policy practices in the nation. We have extensive experience in working with local governments and water authorities to meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements, secure federal funding, and navigate the Army Corps of Engineers funding process. We have successfully helped communities address water quality regulatory issues; secure EPA funding; and pursue authorizations and appropriations for major flood control, ecosystem restoration, dredging and other Army Corps of Engineers projects. At the same time, we are consistently working with local governments on innovative ways to address their water infrastructure needs through new financing tools and by making connections between the private and public sectors.
Structuring and Executing Complex and Innovative Transactions
We combine policy expertise and broad connections throughout the water infrastructure sector with leading transactional capabilities. We are home to internationally recognized lawyers in infrastructure project finance and P3 transactions, with expertise on the structuring, financing, acquisition, construction, operation and maintenance of infrastructure assets, both domestically and overseas. Our professionals have represented project sponsors, lenders, institutional investors, construction companies and municipalities in a wide range of sectors, including groundbreaking water P3 projects. From creating opportunities to structuring and executing innovative transactions, we have unmatched ability to help clients across the water infrastructure sector achieve their goals.
Local Government
With two decades of experience, we are the leading law firm with a local government practice in Washington DC. Our clients include dozens of cities, counties and local and regional authorities. We represent our clients on a full spectrum of issues affecting local government responsibilities. The breadth of our local government practice affords unique advantages to our clients through coalition-building, information-sharing, and access, as well as broad-based and bipartisan / non-partisan contacts in Congress and the Administration. Our size and scope enables full-service in-house representation without subcontracts.
Established Practice with Breadth of Experience
We recognize that effective federal advocacy for local government requires a specialized focus and substantive expertise. Acknowledging the importance of the associations representing those interests, we also determined that individual localities must interact directly and regularly with the federal government to resolve specific local concerns and to partner with other localities on positions that the broad-based associations’ constituencies could not address. By focusing on developing subject matter policy and program capabilities in local government issues and tailoring special services to public agency clients, we have established a long record in representing counties and cities, as well as transportation/transit authorities, utilities, special districts, state agencies, public health consortia and hospitals, universities, community development corporations, and similar entities.
Our team focuses on technical expertise coupled with procedural knowledge to proactively advise and position local governments on the merits and in the context of viable federal prospects. We work closely with local officials to plan and pursue a comprehensive and aggressive federal relations strategy that includes a balanced approach to opportunities through all three branches of the federal government.
Full-Service Approach to Advocacy
We have a proven track record of success in positioning our clients for federal grant awards and other resources. In addition, our local government practice is unparalleled with specialized expertise in economic development, transit, highways, aviation, and healthcare funding and policy. There is no limitation or constraint on the scope of services we can provide.
We understand and respect the unique nature of municipal representation and are ever mindful of our role as an extension of the elected and appointed leadership of the municipality, while being sensitive to the fact that public sector entities operate under close public and media scrutiny. Our clients trust our advice and counsel because they are aware of our integrity and discretion, and know our interactions with federal officials will always reflect positively on their behalf.
I-69 Mid-Continent Highway Coalition – Assisted the organization of cities, counties, states, business, labor and civic groups from a nine-state trade corridor connecting Canada and Mexico, and played a key role in creating a new program to fund corridors and assisted in obtaining over US$1 billion in congressional earmarks and grants for I-69.
American Water Works Association (AWWA) – Assisted in creating the Water Infrastructure, Finance and innovation Act (WIFIA) legislative proposal for AWWA and other associations. The proposal, endorsed by the US Conference of Mayors, was signed into law in June 2014. Modeled on the successful transportation TIFIA program, WIFIA provides long term, low interest loans to accelerate investment in major water infrastructure projects.
Major software manufacturer – Worked with to demonstrate the benefits of 3-D modeling in accelerating transportation projects and cutting costs in planning, environmental review, design and construction. Resulted in incentive programs at DOT and in MAP-21 promoting the use of 3-D modeling, including 100% federal funding.
City of Portland, Oregon – Successfully helped the city win the first and only variance to the EPA’s Long Term Drinking Water Rule (LT2) under the Safe Drinking Water Act. This allowed the city to continue to monitor and test for cryptosporidium in lieu of building a water treatment plant at the Bull Run Reservoir on Mount Hood. After several years of negotiations with EPA, and years of testing the untreated water and finding no cryptosporidium, EPA and the State of Oregon granted the first and only variance to the LT2 Rule. This saved the city around US$100 million.
Producers of transit equipment and facilities – Assisted in developing manufacturing plans to comply with the Federal Transit Administration’s Buy America requirements. Our client’s plans were approved and withstood protests and litigation.
City of Portland, Oregon – Unique experience in the nascent, but burgeoning movement on streetcars. On behalf of the city, we succeeded in securing the first ever federally funded streetcar project under the Small Starts Program for the Portland Streetcar Loop. We also led the effort to secure federal funding for the M-1 RAIL streetcar project in Detroit, an unprecedented project being developed by a consortium of major business and philanthropic leaders to spur development in Detroit’s urban core.
Wayne County, Michigan – Assisted in negotiating a US$185 million increase (from US$115 million to US$300 million) in Detroit Metropolitan Airport’s Letter of Intent with the Federal Aviation Administration to fund airport improvements, and obtained an additional US$86 million for the airport’s South Access Road in appropriations and authorizing legislation.
City of Shreveport, Louisiana – Assisted in securing millions of dollars in appropriations earmarks and grants for transportation improvements, downtown and riverfront revitalization, water and air quality projects, museum programs, and restoring historic structures.
Follow our blog, Capital Thinking, for global public policy updates and information to support your business and policy initiatives.
