Former Washington Congresswoman Joins Firm’s Government Affairs Practice, Adding Tax and International Trade Experience to Formidable Group
(Washington, DC and Seattle, Wash.) March 22, 2005 – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary US LLP has announced that Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn, who retired from Washington’s 8th Congressional District in January, will become a senior advisor within the firm’s Government Affairs practice group.
Dunn, who will share her time between the firm’s Washington, D.C. and Seattle offices, was a member of the prestigious House Ways and Means Committee, the Joint Economic Committee, and the Select Committee on Homeland Security.
“Congresswoman Dunn is highly respected on Capitol Hill and in the executive branch. She is a remarkable consensus builder who understands the nuances of the legislative process,” said Thomas O’Neil III, chair of the firm’s Government Affairs practice group. “She will bring invaluable expertise to our clients’ projects, especially in the areas of international trade and tax.”
Dunn will leverage her extensive legislative experience to advise clients on matters related to international trade, tax matters and homeland security.
“I am very pleased to be joining DLA Piper because of their international presence and vision for growth that will enable me immediately to begin helping clients with their complex international trade issues,” added Dunn. “Another important factor in my decision to join the firm was that DLA Piper’s Government Affairs attorneys are very well-respected on the Hill and around DC. Collaborating with them presents numerous opportunities for me to continue working on policy and legislative issues that have been central to my career, including tax and homeland security.”
Congresswoman Dunn was first elected to the 103rd Congress in November, 1992, and served six terms. She was the fifth woman to serve on the House Ways and Means Committee. The Congresswoman was the Vice Chair of the Select Committee on Homeland Security which was charged with overseeing the new Department. At the time she served as Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference, she was the highest-ranking woman in the United States Congress.
As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Congresswoman Dunn has experience in a wide range of tax-related matters. Specifically, she has led the fight on issues including the death tax, IRS reform, the overhaul of the tax code, and retirement security. Additionally, she fought for
the expansion of free international trade during her years in the U.S. House, and was the lead Republican Congressional proponent of the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement. Dunn has extensive experience in international commerce and trade and maintains working relationships with many foreign leaders and officials.
In joining the firm, Dunn adds unique perspective and experience to the firm’s prominent International Trade practice, which advises U.S. and foreign companies on the application of U.S. trade laws to their business. She has traveled the globe and has been on the front lines of debate over trade barriers on U.S. exports. Dunn served on the whip team for enactment of the North American Free Trade Agreement and Permanent Normal Trade Relations for China. She is intimately familiar with the restrictions exporters may face, and has actively fought to open markets here and abroad.
In her career, Dunn has raised tens of millions of dollars for fellow Republican candidates for Congress and for President Bush’s campaigns.
A native of Bellevue, Washington, Congresswoman Dunn received a B.A. in English Literature from Stanford University in 1963. She is married to E. Keith Thomson who retired from the Fluor Corporation and is currently the Assistant Commissioner of Customs for International Programs at the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Trade Relations. Dunn’s son Bryant lives in Hailey, Idaho with his wife and two daughters and owns a big game hunting company called Smokey Mountain Outfitters. Her younger son, Reagan, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney, is currently a member of the King County Council in Washington.
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About DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary US LLP
DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary US LLP is a business law firm of 1,350 lawyers in offices throughout the US, whose core practices are corporate and securities, litigation, real estate, intellectual property and government affairs. Worldwide, DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary has 2,800 lawyers in 49 offices in 18 countries, including the United Kingdom, mainland Europe and Asia, offering leading practices in commercial, corporate and finance, human resources, litigation, real estate, regulatory and legislative, and technology, media and communications.
In the U.S., DLA Piper’s Government Affairs practice group includes two former congressional leaders, Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell, and House Majority Leader Richard K. Armey, as well as former Michigan governor and U.S. ambassador to Canada Jim Blanchard, and Office of the United States Trade Representative general counsel John Veroneau. Leading the Government Affairs group is Thomas F. O’Neil III, former senior vice president and general counsel of the MCI Group and a former federal prosecutor and legislative assistant to a congressman.
Government Affairs lawyers and professionals practice before Congress; federal and state regulatory agencies (including the FTC, FCC, FERC, EPA, DOT, FAA); executive branch departments (including the Departments of Defense, Justice, Treasury, State, Commerce, and Energy); and courts of general and specialized jurisdiction.
The firm’s alliance with The Cohen Group, an international strategic business consulting firm, offers a further range of legal and business intelligence and consulting services. The group includes former Secretary of Defense William Cohen, former Supreme Allied Commander and General Joseph Ralston, and former secretary general of NATO and former U.K. minister of defense, Lord George Robertson, who serves as The Cohen Group’s senior counselor based in London. More information about DLA Piper is available at www.dlapiper.com.
Contacts:
Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn, DLA Piper (509) 539-8505
Patrick Bustamante, Media Relations, DLA Piper (650) 833-2388 Aaron Schoenherr, Media Relations, GreenTarget (312) 252-4103
