The highest-profile mover this week is white-collar criminal defender Stephen Best, who has joined Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Washington office after eight years at Dewey & LeBoeuf. There, he co-headed the firm’s white-collar practice and represented headline-grabbing clients such as Michaele and Tareq Salahi and billionaire Mark Cuban.
Best says Brownstein Hyatt—known primarily in the District as a lobbying firm—recruited him to build a white-collar-and-securities enforcement group. He couldn’t pass on the opportunity to build a practice from scratch. At his new firm, Best says, “the business model makes better sense in the long term. . . . I can have a flexible rate structure.” New York-based firms such as Dewey & LeBoeuf typically charge higher rates, something clients are losing patience with in this economy. Brownstein is based in Colorado.
There don't appear to be any hard feelings over Best's departure. Ralph Ferrara, vice chair of Dewey, notes his own close relationship with Brownstein Hyatt. He says he and lawyers there have worked together on numerous matters over the years and frequently refer business to one another. As for finding a partner to replace Best as co-head of Dewey's white-collar group, Ferrara says, "we've started poking around . . . we've got several leads."
Also in law-firm moves, intellectual-property partner Paul Poirot has jumped from McDermott Will & Emery to Baker Hostetler’s Washington office. Poirot specializes in patent litigation.
With a new Congress coming to town, firms are beefing up their lobbying teams. Brownstein Hyatt may have gained Stephen Best, but it lost policy director Kyle Simpson, who has joined the legislative practice at Hogan Lovells.
Brown Rudnick’s government-relations practice picked up George Lowe, who served as chief of staff to senators Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski. Lowe was most recently president of Lowe Strategies.
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman has announced its new partners: Congrats are due to Emily Bell, an intellectual-property lawyer in the firm’s Northern Virginia office; Michael Steinig, a member of the global-sourcing practice in Washington; and Yann van Geertruyden, a Washington-based real-estate attorney.
Power Circuit
Welcome to Washingtonian.com’s new roundup of hires and promotions on K Street and beyond
The highest-profile mover this week is white-collar criminal defender Stephen Best, who has joined Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Washington office after eight years at Dewey & LeBoeuf. There, he co-headed the firm’s white-collar practice and represented headline-grabbing clients such as Michaele and Tareq Salahi and billionaire Mark Cuban.
Best says Brownstein Hyatt—known primarily in the District as a lobbying firm—recruited him to build a white-collar-and-securities enforcement group. He couldn’t pass on the opportunity to build a practice from scratch. At his new firm, Best says, “the business model makes better sense in the long term. . . . I can have a flexible rate structure.” New York-based firms such as Dewey & LeBoeuf typically charge higher rates, something clients are losing patience with in this economy. Brownstein is based in Colorado.
There don't appear to be any hard feelings over Best's departure. Ralph Ferrara, vice chair of Dewey, notes his own close relationship with Brownstein Hyatt. He says he and lawyers there have worked together on numerous matters over the years and frequently refer business to one another. As for finding a partner to replace Best as co-head of Dewey's white-collar group, Ferrara says, "we've started poking around . . . we've got several leads."
Also in law-firm moves, intellectual-property partner Paul Poirot has jumped from McDermott Will & Emery to Baker Hostetler’s Washington office. Poirot specializes in patent litigation.
With a new Congress coming to town, firms are beefing up their lobbying teams. Brownstein Hyatt may have gained Stephen Best, but it lost policy director Kyle Simpson, who has joined the legislative practice at Hogan Lovells.
Brown Rudnick’s government-relations practice picked up George Lowe, who served as chief of staff to senators Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski. Lowe was most recently president of Lowe Strategies.
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman has announced its new partners: Congrats are due to Emily Bell, an intellectual-property lawyer in the firm’s Northern Virginia office; Michael Steinig, a member of the global-sourcing practice in Washington; and Yann van Geertruyden, a Washington-based real-estate attorney.
Subscribe to Washingtonian
Follow Washingtonian on Twitter
More>> Capital Comment Blog | News & Politics | Party Photos
Marisa M. Kashino joined Washingtonian in 2009 and was a senior editor until 2022.
Most Popular in News & Politics
The Missing Men of Mount Pleasant
Another Mysterious Anti-Trump Statue Has Appeared on the National Mall
Muriel Bowser Defends Her BLM Plaza Decision and Looks Back on a Decade as Mayor
Yet Another Anti-Trump Statue Has Shown Up on the National Mall
Want to Search Donald Trump’s Truth Social Posts? A New Site Is Here to Help.
Washingtonian Magazine
July Issue: The "Best Of" Issue
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
How Would a New DC Stadium Compare to the Last One?
The Culture of Lacrosse Is More Complex Than People Think
Did Television Begin in Dupont Circle?
Kings Dominion’s Wild New Coaster Takes Flight in Virginia
More from News & Politics
I Tried to Train for American Ninja Warrior
Trump Wants to Rename Soccer, the Nationals Chose a Shortstop, and Virginians Are the US French-Fry-Eating Champions
Guest List: 5 People We’d Love to Hang Out With This July
The Washington Nationals Just Fired the Manager and GM Who Led Them to a Championship. Why Has the Team Been so Bad Since?
FBI Building Now on Track to Leave DC After All, Whistleblower Leaks Texts Suggesting Justice Department Planned to Blow Off Federal Court Orders, and NPS Cuts Leave Assateague Island Without Lifeguards
Families of DC Air Disaster Victims Criticize Army’s Response, Trump Settles His Scores Via Tariff, and Police Dog Kicked at Dulles Returns to Work
This DC-Area Lawyer Wants More Americans Betting on Elections
Trump Threatens DC Takeover, Says He’d Run the City “So Good”; Supreme Court OKs Mass Federal Worker Layoffs; and You Should Go Pick Some Sunflowers