House Majority Leader Dick Armey Joins Piper Rudnick

    WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Piper Rudnick LLP, a national law firm
 with one of the most advanced Federal Affairs and Legislative practices in the
 nation, today announced that former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Tex)
 is joining the firm as a Senior Policy Advisor. Armey, one of the country's
 most respected lawmakers, will join the law firm effective January 6, 2003.
     Since 1995, Armey has served as Majority Leader in the U.S. House of
 Representatives.  He was the ranking Republican on the Joint Economic
 Committee, Chairman of the Republican Conference, and most recently served in
 the important role of Chairman of the Select Committee on Homeland Security.
 Armey is well respected by both Republicans and Democrats and is noted for his
 ability to build consensus among his colleagues.  He was active on legislation
 related to military base closures, agricultural subsidies, NAFTA, homeland
 security, and education scholarships for disadvantaged children in the
 nation's capital.
     The addition of Representative Armey advances the strategic course set by
 Piper Rudnick co-chairs Francis B. Burch, Jr., and Lee I. Miller to offer
 clients an interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving on a wide range of
 matters pertaining to government agencies, Congressional committees, domestic
 and international courts, as well as government related negotiations and
 transactions.
     Armey joins Piper Rudnick at a time when the firm is emphasizing the
 development of its Federal Affairs and Legislative practice, which currently
 includes a number of other prominent former public servants, among them former
 Senator and Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell and Michigan Governor James
 Blanchard. The firm also has a close relationship with former Senator and
 Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen through its strategic alliance with The
 Cohen Group.
     In a statement, the co-chairmen of the firm noted, "We are delighted to
 welcome Dick Armey to our firm. He is a dedicated public servant who has
 provided strong leadership throughout his public life. Our clients understand
 that the success of their business strategies often depends on their knowledge
 of, and ability to work with, legislative and regulatory bodies, as well as
 having good relationships with government and business leaders in the
 countries where they do business. Dick Armey offers the knowledge and the
 relationships, as well as strong convictions and a straightforward approach to
 resolving difficult issues."
     "I am very attracted by Piper Rudnick's energy. It's a firm that is
 growing in exciting ways with a clear sense of direction and leadership,"
 Representative Armey said. "I appreciate the balance of Democrats and
 Republicans in the Federal Affairs and Legislative group, and I'm really
 looking forward to working with Senator Mitchell, whom I greatly respect, not
 only for his years as Majority Leader in the Senate, but also in his more
 recent role as peacemaker. I hope to make a contribution to the other practice
 areas in the firm as well, particularly the strong Homeland Security team,
 since that is a special interest of mine."
     "Dick Armey is a superb politician," Sen. Mitchell said. "Every major
 piece of legislation that Congress has debated in the last 15 years has borne
 his imprint in one way or another, and he has brought a tough-minded sense of
 fairness and bipartisanship to the table when the importance of doing the
 right thing for the nation transcended the desire to score a partisan point.
 He will be an excellent addition to our team."
     Piper Rudnick's Federal Affairs and Legislative practice has long
 maintained a significant presence in Washington, D.C.; however, in the past
 several months the practice has increased its profile dramatically by forming
 a strategic alliance with The Cohen Group and by joining forces with
 prestigious legal consulting firm Verner Liipfert Bernhard McPherson and Hand.
 
     Eighteen Years of Public Service
     Dick Armey has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since his first
 election in 1984. Previously, he had pursued an academic career at the
 university level, including the University of North Texas.
     After joining the firm, Representative Armey plans to continue to pursue
 his particular interest in policy issues such as tax legislation to achieve a
 fairer, flatter tax structure; retirement security; and the high tech sector
 of the economy, including such issues as privacy, digital signatures and broad
 band communications.
     He is the author of three books, Price Theory (1977), The Freedom
 Revolution (1995), and The Flat Tax (1996). He is currently working on a
 compilation of the sayings for which he's noted, to be titled Armey's Axioms,
 that is scheduled for publication later this year. He and his wife are the
 devoted parents of five children and are avid fishermen in their free time.
     He will be based in the firm's Washington D.C. and Dallas offices.
 
     About Piper Rudnick
     Piper Rudnick is a business law firm of 900 lawyers with offices in
 Chicago, Washington, Baltimore, New York, Reston, Philadelphia, Dallas, Tampa,
 Los Angeles Edison, and Las Vegas. The firm's practice is focused on:
 
     * Business and Technology, including corporate and securities, corporate
       governance, franchise and distribution, intellectual property,
       information technology, biosciences, IPOs, mergers and acquisitions, and
       other major transactions for companies of all sizes.
 
     * Real Estate, comprising one of the largest and most diverse practices in
       the U.S., covering every aspect of industrial, commercial, retail, and
       residential property transactions, finance, project finance and
       securities.
 
     * Litigation, including a white-collar group led by a former Watergate
       prosecutor, and national product liability, securities, labor and
       commercial litigation  practices.
 
     * Governmental Affairs, including the nationally-known federal affairs and
       legislation group formerly with Verner Liipfert Bernhard McPherson and
       Hand; a government controversies practice headed by the former general
       counsel of a leading telecommunications company; and prominent
       regulatory practices in government contracts, environmental, e-commerce
       and privacy, antitrust and communications.
 
     * An International Commerce and Litigation practice that includes
       international dispute resolution and public international law, and is
       supplemented by the firm's strategic alliance with The Cohen Group, a
       international strategic business consulting firm headed by former U.S.
       Secretary of Defense, William S. Cohen.
 
     For more information, please visit the firm's web site at
 www.piperrudnick.com .
 
 

SOURCE  Piper Rudnick LLP