Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck is pleased to announce that former U.S. Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) is joining the firm as a strategic advisor. Begich joins the Government Relations Department based in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office. While Begich brings a wide array of expertise from his decades in public service as well as private business, his initial focus will be on energy issues and the interrelationship between the business sector and the U.S. government.
“Sen. Begich is a smart addition to our growing strategic services team which he will lead with Barry Jackson,” said Marc Lampkin, Government Relations Department co-chair and Washington, D.C., office managing partner. Jackson joined the firm from House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) office in 2013. “Both Sen. Begich and Barry Jackson will assist our clients in gaining a better understanding of how to solve problems across party lines in this political environment. They both have an uncanny ability to cut through gridlock in Washington and are uniquely positioned to get our clients’ projects across the finish line.”
Begich served in the U.S. Senate from 2009 to 2015 and was mayor of Anchorage from 2003 to 2009.
“Mark Begich passionately served the people of Alaska for more than a decade, and I know he will bring that same passion and energy to his new role in Washington,” said John Minge, President of BP America.
Begich will provide strategic counsel to clients based on his invaluable experience not only from his time as a U.S. senator but also his decades in private business and local politics. His knowledge and experience on both sides of the business-politics equation inform his unique yet pragmatic approach that delivered results time and again in the U.S. Senate. Whether it was his success in breaking down bureaucratic hurdles among multiple federal agencies to build a road for the critical CD-5 project in Alaska or securing permits after decades of waiting for development in the Arctic, Begich understands how to bring stakeholders together in even the toughest situations. It is that record that makes him a sought-after advisor for clients in a variety of industries affected by policies and regulations including energy, oil and natural gas development, education, health care, housing, commerce and more.
“I look forward to working alongside the energetic and talented team at Brownstein because they understand what it means to focus on results—no matter how tough the challenge may be,” said Begich. “I am confident that with a little bit of creativity and a lot of common sense, our unique and bipartisan approach will deliver real solutions. As an Alaskan, I am especially looking forward to bringing my diverse experience working on energy issues to the table and supporting this critical, job-creating industry.”
Begich expands Brownstein’s team composed of politically experienced attorneys and policy professionals who have worked on both sides of the aisle.
“Sen. Begich joins our other distinguished senior government officials like former U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson and former U.S. Sen. Hank Brown,” said Lampkin. “We’re a bipartisan firm with a reputation for outstanding political talent and believe Sen. Begich will fit in well.”
Begich started work at the firm on Wednesday, April 15.
Click here to read the full story from The Washington Post on Begich joining the team.