Mercury and Clark & Weinstock to Merge in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Mercury, a leading, national bipartisan public strategy firm, and Clark & Weinstock, a premier bipartisan government relations firm based in Washington, D.C., have merged their Washington, D.C. operations. The merger is effective immediately and will operate under the Mercury/Clark & Weinstock brand in Washington, D.C. and the Mercury brand in New York, California, Florida, New Jersey, Illinois and Pennsylvania.

"Clark & Weinstock is best in class in Washington, D.C., and the ability to formally partner with Vin Weber and his team is really exciting for Mercury. They have great talent and relentlessly pursue excellence for their clients," said Kieran Mahoney, Chief Executive Officer of Mercury/Clark & Weinstock. "The combined bipartisan talent of Mercury/Clark & Weinstock strengthens our global leadership position in public strategy. Both firms have a reputation for superior talent, which delivers measurable business value for the world's most successful companies and advocacy groups."

"Mercury's public strategy platform, which includes a national grassroots mobilization network, leading state-based offerings in New York, California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida and Illinois, as well as capabilities in crisis communications, polling, digital, issue advertising and strategic communications, will create tremendous leverage for our capabilities in government relations," said Vin Weber, managing partner of Clark & Weinstock. "More importantly, we know the Mercury team, have worked closely and successfully with them on a variety of client issues, and have great respect for their capabilities and relentless pursuit of victory for their clients."

Clark & Weinstock Managing Partner Vin Weber will become Co-Chairman of both Mercury and Mercury/Clark & Weinstock, joining former Congressman Max Sandlin (D-TX), former U.S. Senator Jim Talent (R-MO), former Speaker of the California Assembly Fabian Nunez (D-CA) and former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer (D-NY). Mercury/Clark & Weinstock will be managed by a four-member operating committee reporting to Mercury President Kirill Goncharenko.

"Vin Weber is one of the most highly respected members of Congress by both sides of the aisles," said Mercury Partner and Co-Chairman Max Sandlin. "We're excited at the opportunity to work with him and his team to create the best bipartisan government relations firm in Washington, D.C."

"This merger creates a national platform for Clark & Weinstock and provides our clients with new capabilities and resources, which are essential to delivering measurable client value in today's world of exploding digital, social and media growth," said Davis Weinstock, Chairman of Clark & Weinstock. "It's an exciting and critical evolution for our company."

About Mercury

Mercury (http://www.mercuryllc.com) is a high-stakes public strategy firm. We use our expertise and reach to gain competitive advantage for clients. Our expertise comes from extensive must-win campaign experience and operating successfully at the highest rung of business, government, politics and media. Our reach is the ability to use strategic intelligence to mobilize the message and persuade the toughest audiences. We know what it takes to win in difficult situations. We have proven results for prominent figures, leading advocacy groups and the world's most successful companies.

About Clark & Weinstock

Clark & Weinstock (http://www.clarkandweinstock.com/) provides strategic counsel to leaders of large, complex companies and institutions on major reputational and positioning issues including crisis management, acquisitions and mergers, legislative, regulatory and government developments, marketing trends and competitive positioning, and relations with the financial community and the national media.

SOURCE Mercury