WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 2004 – LAWFUEL – Law, attorney, law firm news — Barbour Griffith & Rogers, LLC (BGR), DC’s top-rated Republican lobbying firm, today announced that Ambassador Robert D. Blackwill will join the firm, leading the firm’s global affairs
practice from the newly created position of President, Barbour Griffith &
Rogers, International.
For the past eighteen months, Ambassador Blackwill has served President
Bush as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor
for Strategic Planning. Bob also served as Presidential Envoy to Iraq, and
earlier, as US Ambassador to India (2001 to 2003).
According to Lanny Griffith, the CEO of BGR LLC, “We are thrilled that
Ambassador Blackwill is joining our thriving firm. Bob’s keen intellect and
fresh perspectives on international affairs will greatly enhance our firm’s
already strong global practice. Bob’s experience in global markets will be a
huge asset for our existing clients and give us enormous new capacity to grow
a dynamic international practice.”
Prior to serving as Ambassador to India, Blackwill was the Belfer Lecturer
in International Security at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of
Government. From 1989 to 1990, Ambassador Blackwill served as Special
Assistant to President George Bush for European and Soviet Affairs, during
which time he was awarded the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit by the
Federal Republic of Germany for his contribution to German unification. Bob
spent nearly 20 years as a practicing diplomat with an impressive range of
overseas postings.
Ed Rogers, Chairman of BGR LLC, stated, “I have had the pleasure of
working with Bob starting in the first Bush Administration, and he is one of
the finest public servants I know. He has been directly involved at the
highest level with some of the most complex and challenging issues facing our
country. His knowledge of the issues and his understanding of the foreign
policy-making process is second to none.”
“I have had no greater honor than serving President Bush over the past
four years. I am looking forward to new opportunities and new challenges with
my friends at Barbour Griffith & Rogers,” noted Blackwill.
BGR, founded in 1991, is a company of lawyers, policy specialists and
other professionals based in Washington, D.C. The firm is actively involved
in the shaping of public policy issues that dominate the American political
and corporate agenda, serving as advocates in federal government relations, a
vital link to state governments in every region of the country, and an ally in
business development anywhere in the U.S. and in select markets around the
world.
Biographical Highlights: Ambassador Robert Blackwill
* Ambassador Robert D. Blackwill served President Bush as Deputy Assistant
to the President, and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Planning
and Presidential Envoy to Iraq. In this position, Ambassador Blackwill was
responsible for government-wide policy planning operations to help develop and
coordinate the mid- and long-term direction of American foreign policy. He
also had particular responsibility for assisting in the formulation and
implementation of U.S. policies regarding Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran.
* Ambassador Blackwill came to the National Security Council after having
served as the U.S. Ambassador to India. Nominated and appointed by President
George W. Bush, he assumed his position as the American Ambassador to the
Republic of India on July 27, 2001 and completed his tenure on July 30, 2003.
* Prior to this diplomatic posting, Ambassador Blackwill was the Belfer
Lecturer in International Security at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy
School of Government, where he taught strategy, foreign and defense policy,
and qualitative public policy analysis. During his 14 years at Harvard, he was
Associate Dean of the Kennedy School, and directed executive training programs
for business and government leaders from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the Palestinian
Authority and Israel, as well as General Officers from Russia and the Peoples
Republic of China.
* From 1989 to 1990, Ambassador Blackwill served as Special Assistant to
President George Bush for European and Soviet Affairs, and was awarded the
Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit by the Federal Republic of Germany for
his contribution to German unification. Bob spent nearly 20 years as a
practicing diplomat and worked for Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and
George Shultz, as well as for National Security Advisors Brent Scowcroft and
Zbigniew Brzezinski.
* He is the author of many books and articles on international security
and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the International
Institute for Strategic Studies and the Board of the Nixon Center.