Lobbying World

These are some of the recent moves and hires across K Street:

Williams and Jensen hired Nick Karellas away from the National Federation of Independent Business, where he served as the tax counsel for the industry group. He will focus on tax and trade issues for the firm. On the Hill, Karellas worked as a tax counsel to Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-Kan.), who formerly served as vice chair of the House Republican Conference. 

W. R. Berkley Corporation has named Jo-Marie St. Martin as vice president of federal government relations. She most recently served on the transition team for Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). Prior to that, she spent 15 years as general counsel and director of legislative operations for former Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). 

Lori Harju — who most recently served as the chief of staff to Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee — has joined Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck as a policy director in the government relations department. 

The Podesta Group snagged Kevin McLaughlin to serve as a principal. He most recently served as the deputy director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and also senior communications roles within the office of Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) 2008 presidential run, and the Republican National Committee. 

Andrew Kovalcin has launched Advanced Advocacy, a strategic communications firm that focuses on issue campaigns for companies, industry groups and organizations as part of a larger lobbying effort. Kovalcin, who recently departed the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as a senior director of advocacy and external affairs for the Global Intellectual Property Center, has also worked at DCI Group and assisted the Republican National Committee with a gubernatorial get-out-the-vote effort. 

Rich Meade, who has more than 14 years of senior experience on Capitol Hill, is rejoining Prime Policy Group as vice chairman after serving as chief operating officer and chief of staff at the Credit Union National Association. He will help oversee the firm’s overall strategic growth and manage the healthcare practice. 

Cassidy & Associates hired Charles Brittingham, a longtime aide to former Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), to work on its energy and natural resources team. Brittingham most recently worked as the majority senior water resources policy adviser for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. 

Ed McClellan, a former tax counsel on the Senate Finance Committee, has joined Covington & Burling. He comes to the firm from the tax policy services group at PricewaterhouseCoopers. 

Sentinel Strategic Advisors, a GOP-owned development and advisory firm, has formed a strategic alliance with former Democratic Party official Lindsey Melander Schulte. The firm helps clients plan “political engagement and giving strategies” in addition to assisting in business development plans. Schulte most recently served as finance director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.