Lobbyist Joseph L. Colaneri Joins Firm’s Washington Office
Washington – LAWFUEL – Press Release Service – Foley & Lardner LLP announced today that Joseph L. Colaneri has joined its Washington, D.C., office as public affairs director and a member of the firm’s Government & Public Affairs Practice and the Energy Industry Team.
Colaneri comes to Foley from National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association, the largest mining association by product volume in the world, where he was director of government affairs. In this role, he served as chief lobbyist before the U.S. Senate and principal tax lobbyist for the association, successfully lobbying Congress on issues including the reauthorization of TEA 21 — the highway bill.
He has also served as executive director for the Propane Vehicle Council; Washington representative for Unocal Corporation, a Fortune 100 oil and natural gas company; and legislative assistant to both Congressman Cecil Heftel and Congressman Norman Y. Mineta.
Colaneri has been an integral part of the congressional debate on national energy policy for more than 20 years. He drafted the Wind Energy Systems Act of 1980, which became Public Law
96-345. He successfully lobbied for the extension of the business energy tax incentives for geothermal energy production enacted as part of the Energy Policy Act of 1992. He also successfully lobbied for tax equity for propane motor fuel under the Federal Motor Fuel Excise Tax enacted in the 1997 Omnibus Tax Reconciliation Bill. In his experience in both the public and private sectors, he has worked with virtually every major national oil, natural gas and renewable energy and alternative fuel stakeholder group.
Colaneri will focus his practice in government relations, association management, legislative and political analysis, employee and corporate communications, and grassroots lobbying. Specifically, he will concentrate in the areas of energy development/procurement, tax reform, energy tax initiatives, renewable energy and alternative fuels, oil and gas, construction, transportation, windpower, solar and automotive.
Colaneri earned a Ph.D and M.Phil. in political science from George Washington University. He also obtained master’s and bachelor’s degrees in political science from Boston College.
Foley’s Public Affairs Practice consists of attorneys who have first-hand experience with and insight into the White House, U.S. Congress, executive branch departments, and regulatory agencies in Washington, D.C. — the key market for government relations, both in the United States and the world.
Foley also has well-established public affairs practices in California, Florida, Illinois and Wisconsin. The announcement of Colaneri joining the firm comes on the heels of the announcement that prominent Republican lobbyist Michael Harrell and former Department of Management Services Secretary Robert Hosay joined the firm’s public affairs practice in its Tallahassee office.
Foley & Lardner LLP provides the full range of corporate legal counsel. Our attorneys understand today’s most complex business issues, including corporate governance, securities enforcement, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property counseling and litigation, outsourcing and information technology, labor and employment, and tax. The firm offers total solutions in the automotive, emerging technologies, energy, entertainment and media, financial services, food, golf and resort services, insurance, health care, life sciences, nanotechnology, and sports industries. The firm’s Web site can be found at www.foley.com.
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Editor’s Note: Please contact Susan White at 312.832.4733 or sewhite@foley.com for a photo of Joseph Colaneri.
