Legislation
The Legislation practice area brings together lawyers active on Capitol Hill and the Executive Branch who also have extensive knowledge in the Firm's various areas of substantive law. Within this area are lawyers with expertise in aviation, energy, Federal appropriations and budget issues, government contracts, telecommunications, natural resources, product liability and tax. Unlike other "lobbying" firms in Washington, the legislative lawyers at Crowell & Moring are more often retained by clients for "what they know" in addition to their relationships with pertinent legislative and executive branch personnel. While many of our lawyers have excellent bipartisan relationships on Capitol Hill and in the Executive Branch, it is their knowledge of the law and the interaction of key statutes in particular substantive areas that distinguishes them from others who lobby issues before the federal government.
We utilize many tools and strategies to help clients solve their problems. Careful analysis of the particular statute at issue is the fundamental starting point. Issues of committee jurisdiction and composition provide a filter through which any viable approach must go. Our services can be as limited or complete as the client needs, depending on it s own legislative resources.
We routinely draft statutory language, amendments, "white papers", one-page talking points, "dear colleague letters" and other documents necessary to implement legislative strategies. Our legislative lawyers also develop strategic solutions to clients' problems and present and advocate these strategies to other potential allies, trade associations, ad hoc groups or coalitions of companies with similar interests, and, of course, members of the House and Senate and their staffs, as well as personnel in the relevant Federal agencies.
Our legislative practice is not restricted to Washington. In fact, our Brussels office has represented both US and European clients on various matters before the European Commission and the European Parliament.
Our Practice