Two New Law Firms Spring Up in the District: Power Circuit

Jared Genser, formerly a partner in the government affairs group at DLA Piper, has left the firm to open his own shop, Perseus Strategies. The firm is focused on servicing clients with human rights and humanitarian concerns, such as companies that need counseling on how to comply with international labor and human-rights standards. Genser, who was recently named to The Washingtonian’s list of 40 star lobbyists under 40, is also the president of Freedom Now, a non-profit law, lobbying, and public relations organization that works to free political prisoners around the world. See The Washingtonian’s story about his efforts here. Genser says now that he is not working for DLA Piper, which has offices in countries such as China that have a history of human rights abuses, he will be able to advocate more vigorously for Freedom Now clients in those parts of the world.

Prominent white-collar criminal defender and former federal prosecutor Preston Burton has left Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, where he headed the litigation practice, to start his own firm with fellow white-collar attorney Gregory Poe. Poe was previously a partner at Robbins, Russell, Englert, Orseck, Untereiner & Sauber. Their new firm is called Poe & Burton.Though DLA Piper has lost Genser, it gained a new partner, Eric Geppert, in its corporate practice. Geppert previously practiced at Baker Hostetler.

WilmerHale welcomed Thomas Anderson to its intellectual property practice, where he is a partner. Anderson joins the firm from Hunton & Williams.

Top Democratic lobbyist Manuel Ortiz, who was also recently named to Washingtonian’s list of 40 star lobbyists under 40 , has left Quinn Gillespie & Associates. He has joined the government relations department at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, where he will also co-chair the Washington office’s management committee.

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips has been building up its government affairs team. Former New York Democratic Representative Dan Maffei has joined the government and regulatory policy division as a senior advisor. James Bonham, previously managing director of government affairs and public policy at Steptoe & Johnson, has joined as chair of Manatt’s federal government affairs and public policy group.

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Marisa M. Kashino

Senior Editor

Marisa M. Kashino joined Washingtonian in 2009 as a staff writer, and became a senior editor in 2014. She oversees the magazine’s real estate and home design coverage, and also writes long-form feature stories. She was a 2020 Livingston Award finalist for her two-part investigation into a possible wrongful conviction stemming from a murder in rural Virginia. Kashino lives in Northeast DC.