Former Congressman Vic Fazio Joins Akin Gump

(Washington, D.C.) – Former Congressman Vic Fazio (D-CA) has joined Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP as a senior advisor in Washington, the firm announced today. Mr. Fazio will advise clients on a range of public policy and government relations issues.

Ambassador Robert S. Strauss, Akin Gump’s founder, remarked, “We could not be more pleased that Vic Fazio has chosen to join Akin Gump. During his two decades in Congress, he was recognized as one of Capitol Hill’s most thoughtful, effective and influential legislators, and earned the admiration of Republicans and Democrats alike. We are honored and delighted to welcome him to the firm.”

Former Congressman Bill Paxon, a senior advisor at Akin Gump, added, “Vic and I have been friends and friendly competitors since the days we chaired our respective parties’ congressional campaign committees. Vic brings the same skills that made him an outstanding leader in Congress to Akin Gump and will complement our team very well. I look forward to working with him once again.”

Mr. Fazio served for 20 years as a member of Congress, representing California’s 3rd District. During his tenure of distinguished public service, he was appointed to the House Appropriations Committee, serving as a subcommittee chairman or ranking member for 18 years. In addition, he was a member of the Armed Services, Budget, Ethics and House Administration Committees.

In addition to his role on the Appropriations Committee, Mr. Fazio was active in the Democratic leadership of the House, holding several appointive and elected positions. He served as the vice chair of the Democratic Caucus from 1989 until 1994, when he was elected chairman, the third-ranking position in the House. He was the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the political arm of the House Democrats, for four years in the early 1990s. He also was a majority whip-at-large and served as a regional representative on the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.

Before his election to Congress, Mr. Fazio served in the California State Assembly. Prior to first being elected to public office, he was a senior assistant to the speaker of the California Assembly.

After his retirement from Congress in 1998, Mr. Fazio served as the co-managing partner of strategic communications consulting firm Clark & Weinstock in Washington.

Joel Jankowsky, chair of Akin Gump’s policy department, stated, “I have known Vic for a long time and am extremely pleased to welcome him to the Akin Gump team. Highly regarded by his colleagues on both sides of the aisle and well-known for his acumen in legislative policy and strategy, he will add tremendous value to our ability to represent our clients on any public policy issue.”

Mr. Fazio added, “Although my time at Clark & Weinstock has been very gratifying, joining Akin Gump will allow me to work on a wider variety of public policy issues. Akin Gump’s policy practice is not only one of the largest and most respected in Washington, but it is also situated in one of the premier law firms in the world. Over the years, I have known well many of the people at Akin Gump, and I’m very excited about joining their team.”

Founded in 1945, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, a leading international law firm, numbers more than 900 lawyers with offices in Austin, Brussels, Dallas, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, New York, Philadelphia, Riyadh (affiliate), San Antonio, San Francisco and Washington. The firm has a diversified practice and represents regional, national and international clients in a wide range of areas, including antitrust; appellate; banking and finance; capital markets; communications and information technology; corporate and securities; corporate governance; employee benefits; energy; entertainment and media; environmental; estate planning, wealth transfer and probate; financial restructuring; global security; government contracts; health; insurance; intellectual property; international trade; investment funds; labor and employment; land use; litigation; mergers and acquisitions; private equity; privatization; project development and finance; public law and policy; real estate development and finance; Russia/CIS; tax; and technology. For additional information, please visit our Web site at akingump.com.

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