Senator Blanche Lincoln to Join Alston & Bird Firm; Brings Financial, Energy, Agricultural Expertise

WASHINGTON, May 23, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Former U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln will join Alston & Bird, one of the nation's leading law firms, in its legislative and public policy group, Robert C. Jones, leader of the group, has announced.

Senator Lincoln adds to a growing list of high-powered former members of Congress at Alston & Bird, including former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, former chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Billy Tauzin, and former Representative Earl Pomeroy, who was a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee.  Susan Kennedy, former Chief of Staff to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Cabinet Secretary to Governor Gray Davis, also joined Alston & Bird today as Senior Policy Advisor for California.

Along with Senator Lincoln, also joining Alston & Bird is the former staff director of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Robert Holifield, who served in that role while Senator Lincoln was chairman of the committee.

"We're immensely pleased to have Senator Lincoln and Mr. Holifield join our outstanding team," group leader Bob Jones said. "Both have excellent reputations inside and outside the Beltway.  They are known for their ability to define and act on complex and challenging issues, and we welcome them as they join Senator Dole, Congressmen Tauzin and Pomeroy, and our many other expert lawyers and staff who have made our practice a national leader."

Both Senator Lincoln and Mr. Holifield said they looked forward to joining Alston & Bird.  "My entire Congressional career I sought bipartisan solutions and I'm proud to be joining such a distinguished group of my former colleagues," Senator Lincoln said.  "Senator Dole is one of our country's finest statesmen and Congressmen Pomeroy and Tauzin rank among the most effective members of the House of Representatives during their tenure.  I couldn't be more pleased to be joining such an amazing team at such an outstanding organization and when bipartisan solutions are so important.

Mr. Holifield said he is pleased to join the firm and to continue his long association with Senator Lincoln. "Under Senator Dole's leadership, Alston & Bird ranks among the finest government affairs practices in our nation's capitol.  It is truly an honor to be joining Senators Lincoln and Dole, Congressmen Tauzin and Pomeroy, and the rest of the government affairs team," he said.  

Senator Lincoln served in Congress for 16 years, with two terms as a member of the House of Representatives representing Arkansas's first congressional district and two terms in the U.S. Senate, where she was the youngest woman ever elected Senator.  She became the first female chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry in the committee's 184-year history and, in addition to agriculture, became known for her expertise on financial and energy policy issues.  She was also a member of the Senate Committee on Finance, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Senate Special Committee on Aging.

Mr. Holifield, before becoming staff director of the Senate Agriculture Committee, had previously served as deputy chief of staff of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

Alston & Bird's management praised Senator Lincoln and welcomed her to the firm:  "Senator Lincoln brings even more strength to our firm's growing and highly regarded legislative and public policy practice," Richard Hays, managing partner of Alston & Bird, said.  "She has a wealth of knowledge and experience on finance and tax, energy and agriculture and many other subjects, and she will be a tremendous resource for our present and future clients."

Dennis O. Garris, partner-in-charge of Alston & Bird's Washington office, said that, with the addition of Senator Lincoln and Mr. Holifield, "we continue to bring Washington's major talents to our firm, and the experience and expertise of Senator Blanche Lincoln and Robert Holifield add further dimensions to our full-service practice."

About Alston & Bird

With 800 attorneys, Alston & Bird is a leading national AmLaw 50 firm.  The firm's core practice areas are intellectual property, complex litigation, corporate and tax, with national industry focuses in health care, financial services and public policy.  The firm has built a reputation as one of the country's best employers, appearing on FORTUNE magazine's ranking of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" 12 consecutive years, an unprecedented accomplishment among law firms in the United States.  The firm has offices in Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Research Triangle, Silicon Valley, Ventura County, and Washington, D.C.

For more information on Alston & Bird, please visit www.alston.com.

SOURCE Alston & Bird