Former American Frozen Foods Institute Executive Joins C&M Capitolink

Washington, D.C. – July 16, 2004: Mike Gill, former vice president of legislative affairs for the American Frozen Foods Institute (AFFI), has joined agribusiness lobbying group C&M Capitolink as a senior associate in its Washington, DC headquarters. “Mike will provide enhanced access to Capitol Hill and federal agencies on behalf of our food industry clients,” said C&M Capitolink President John Thorne. “We are delighted to have Mike on our team.”

Since 1993, Capitolink has provided expert technical, policy development, and public affairs services to agricultural, agribusiness, food processing and related industries for water and air quality and other selected environmental, appropriations and trade/tariff issues. In January 2004, Capitolink joined forces with Crowell & Moring LLP, a full-service international law firm, to become C&M Capitolink.

Having joined AFFI in 2000 as senior lobbyist, Mike has demonstrated legislative leadership and built solid relationships within the food industry as well as at the Food & Drug Administration, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Agriculture, the International Trade Administration, the Department of Labor, U.S. Trade Representative and Department of Transportation. While at AFFI, Mike organized and served as treasurer of its PAC and also chaired its Food Industry Trade Coalition. Mike also served as co-chair of the Food Industry Environmental Council and executive director of the Texas-Mexico Frozen Food Council. Prior to his tenure at AFFI, Mike spent three years as executive director of the Ripon Society of Washington, D.C. While at the Ripon Society, he worked with Congress and various foreign governments to develop international policy conferences on trade, investment controls and intellectual property protection matters. In this role, he developed close personal relationships with many members of Congress and their staff as well as with foreign government officials. “Mike's background is a great fit with C&M Capitolink’s legislative and regulatory affairs focus, and his food industry contacts and international trade experience present a number of exciting opportunities to expand and increase the services we provide to our clients,” said Crowell & Moring Chairman John Macleod.

For five years prior to his work at the Ripon Society, Mr. Gill worked for Rep. Paul Gillmor as communications director and legislative aide. Rep. Gillmor serves on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and chairs the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials. Mike maintains a close relationship with Rep. Gillmor and his staff.

Crowell & Moring is a full-service law firm with more than 300 attorneys committed to solving legal problems and providing business solutions efficiently and effectively for our clients, who include Fortune 100 companies and multinational corporations across a range of industries. Based in Washington, D.C., the firm also has offices in Brussels, California and London.