Crowell & Moring Gains Seasoned Government Affairs Capabilities With Partner Eric Edwards

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Sep 19, 2012, 10:00 ET

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Crowell & Moring LLP is pleased to announce the addition of Public Policy Group partner Eric Edwards to the firm's Washington, D.C. office. With nearly 20 years of senior public policy experience on Capitol Hill and in the private sector, Edwards will provide strategic counseling to firm clients on government affairs matters in the areas of banking, securities, financial institutions, and general business, with a particular focus on the implementation of the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and other financial regulatory matters. Edwards' legislative experience includes senior staff positions in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, and most recently an in-house policy advisor position with a Fortune 100 company.

Furthering Crowell & Moring's ongoing and strategic expansion of the firm's government affairs capabilities, Edwards arrives on the heels of Judah C. "Jud" Sommer, a Washington, D.C.-based senior counsel who chairs the firm's growing Public Policy Group.

"We are extremely pleased that Eric has joined us. His stellar career experience and well-earned reputation for being effective make him a perfect fit for our Crowell & Moring team. Eric's unique skill set adds depth to the capabilities we offer our clients in the banking and financial services sectors, among others. In particular, Eric's private sector and Hill expertise, including his work on developing key financial services legislation dating back to Gramm-Leach-Bliley and more recently the multi-faceted implementation of Dodd-Frank, uniquely position him to work with our clients as they adapt to these new global laws in all their complexity," said Sommer.

Edwards joins Crowell & Moring from his role as vice president in the Office of Government Affairs at the Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., where he managed a legislative and regulatory portfolio that included the application of the "Volcker Rule" to bank-sponsored private equity and hedge funds, and the broader impact of Dodd-Frank on banks and asset managers. Beyond a traditional public policy and advocacy role, Edwards has focused on the impact of financial reforms on various business models in the financial services sector. In 2010, Edwards was named secretary of Goldman's internal steering group that is tasked with overseeing the firm's implementation of global financial reforms.

Edwards' Hill experience includes serving as staff director and counsel for the influential Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit of the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, where he advised members of Congress on a broad range of financial institution regulatory matters, including oversight of the Troubled Asset Relief Program ("TARP"). During his tenure as counsel, the Financial Institutions Subcommittee passed the Credit CARD Act of 2009, the Credit Union Share Insurance Stabilization Act, and the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act. Previously, Edwards was staff director and counsel for the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade and Technology, and he held leadership positions on a variety of committees and personal staffs in the House and Senate dating back to the mid-90s. In those various positions, his wide-ranging work included helping to develop the nation's first ever anti-money laundering strategy, directing a congressional subcommittee investigation into the International Monetary Fund, staffing a senior member of the Financial Services Committee during the drafting of the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act, and serving as assistant counsel to a senior senator on the Senate Special Committee on Whitewater.

"I am excited to be a part of Crowell & Moring's expanding Public Policy Group. This is a critical time for the financial services sector as banks and other financial entities adjust to the most comprehensive regulatory changes since the Great Depression. I look forward to providing clients with my insight into the legislative and regulatory processes, in addition to advising them on compliance matters," said Edwards.

Edwards received his J.D. and LL.M., (with honors) from the John Marshall Law School, his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and his B.A. from Purdue University.

Crowell & Moring's Public Policy Group provides high-level strategy, advocacy and policy development services to firm clients seeking government relations, crisis management, media relations and related assistance before the U.S. Congress, the White House, and other Executive Branch agencies. The firm's bi-partisan team includes former Congressional and Executive Branch staff as well as former military, business, and campaign professionals. The group understands the policymaking processes, the interaction between Congress and the Executive Branch, and excels at effectively communicating the policy priorities of clients to senior government decision-makers.

Crowell & Moring LLP is an international law firm with approximately 500 lawyers representing clients in litigation and arbitration, regulatory, and transactional matters. The firm is internationally recognized for its representation of Fortune 500 companies in high-stakes litigation, as well as its ongoing commitment to pro bono service and diversity. The firm has offices in Washington, DC, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County, Anchorage, London, and Brussels. Visit Crowell & Moring online at http://www.crowell.com.

Contact: Jessica O'Neil
[email protected]
(202) 508-8750

SOURCE Crowell & Moring LLP