The Complexity of Taiwan's Ties With Lobbyists

A Major Addition to Greenberg

Greenberg Traurig is happy to report a significant hire, especially since its D.C. lobby practice had hit a rocky patch after controversy erupted last year over its then-lobbyist Jack Abramoff 's high-priced dealings with Indian tribes.

The hire: James E. Hyland , an 18-year veteran of Capitol Hill, including a stint as legislative director for Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.). He was a senior staffer at the Senate and House banking committees.

Hyland left DLA Piper Rudnick for Greenberg.

Fred Baggett , chairman of Greenberg's national governmental affairs practice group, said that it is "best to let the 'issues' settle," and that the Hyland hiring is a sign of the firm's commitment to grow its D.C. lobby practice. He said Hyland will provide "mainstream, responsible and credible advocacy."

Hyland said: "My sense of Greenberg is it is a large, national prestigious law firm. Their Washington office can, will and should reflect that."

New Venture Offers 'Campaign Mentality'

A bipartisan group of high-powered lobbyists, strategists and communications specialists have launched a joint venture to provide public-affairs advocacy advertising. Although most of them work at subsidiaries of the mammoth WPP Group , the new shop is not a WPP company.

The new kid on the block is 360Advantage , which will be led by Russ Schriefer and Stuart Stevens , two key advertising and campaign strategists of the Bush reelection campaign. Their company, which is part of the venture, is Opinion Media . Their partners there are Jack Quinn , former Clinton White House counsel, and Ed Gillespie , former chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Quinn Gillespie & Associates is in on the deal, as are Burson-Marsteller ( Ken Reitz , Richard Mintz ) and its sister companies, BKSH & Associates ( Charlie Black ) and Direct Impact ( Craig G. Veith ).

"There's a ton of experience here," Quinn said.

Quinn and Mintz said the firm will not do partisan campaign advertising. Mintz said clients want "a campaign mentality" -- rapid response, staying on message, knowing how to target an audience.

Moving Along . . .

Furthermore . . . Eskew Strategy Group has added two senior folks: Kara Kennedy and Todd Irons . Kennedy, most recently of the Petrizzo Group , was chief of staff to then-House member Jennifer Dunn (R-Wash.). Irons, most recently at Qorvis Communications , worked at the Republican National Committee.