LAWFUEL – From The Politico – A key client of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLP had a big tax problem a couple of years ago when the attorneys working to resolve it hit a dead end: They needed Capitol Hill help and the law firm didn’t have a lobbying section that could handle it.
Reluctantly, the managing partner of the Washington office, Joseph P. Markoski, farmed the work out to a competing law firm — and resolved never to be stuck in that position again.
In January, Squire, Sanders Public Advocacy opened its doors with three lobbyists — two Republicans and one Democrat — recruited together from Venable LLP, another of Washington’s big law firms. They were joined by Louis Stokes, an attorney and former Democratic House member from Ohio who joined Squire Sanders in 1999, creating a bipartisan balance to the team charged with launching the law firm’s new venture.
Squire Sanders’ expansion reflects a trend among law firms in Washington as lines have blurred between the legislative, regulatory and legal needs of clients in the global economy. Another big motivator is money. Patton Boggs LLP, one of the city’s biggest law firms, brought in more than $232 million in lobbying fees between 1998 and 2006; Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP saw lobbying income of nearly $190 million during the same period, according to public records. Squire Sanders wants to get a piece of that action while also providing more complete services to existing clients.
