Senate President Pro Tempore to Join Greenberg Traurig

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (October 22, 2014) – Greenberg Traurig, LLP is pleased to announce that former California State Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg will join the firm as Chair of its California Government Law & Policy Practice on December 1st after his final term expires. Senator Steinberg will be located in the Sacramento office, where he has represented the region in the state legislature 14 of the past 16 years, including the last six years as leader of the Senate. Before he was first elected to the Assembly in 1998, Senator Steinberg also served on the Sacramento City Council for six years. 

“Our clients want the deep understanding of state and local governance that Senator Steinberg will bring after decades of public service, including the last several years at the focal point of California government," said Richard Rosenbaum, Greenberg Traurig’s Chief Executive Officer. “While the Government Law & Policy Practice has long been a core practice at the federal, state and local levels, we have strategically focused on raising our game in recent times. In Washington, Florida, Texas, New York, and California, we have made major additions, and will shortly be announcing further significant enhancements. There is no firm providing this kind of top tier coverage in all these key governmental centers and we are proud to welcome the Senator as a member of that high level team across the firm. ”

In addition to Sacramento, Greenberg Traurig has offices throughout California, including Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Since June of this year, the firm has significantly expanded its government practice.  In July, a team of 13 government professionals joined Greenberg Traurig’s D.C. office, including three former Congressmen and Andrew Zausner, the former long time head of Dickstein Shapiro’s governmental practice. Also, in the past months, the firm has hired two additional government professionals in Texas, with one residing in Houston and the other in Austin, including Jim Grace, the former head of Baker & Botts’ governmental practice. These additions, plus many more over the past year, have brought great experience and depth to the firm’s award winning Government Law & Policy Practice.

“I am proud of my years of public service and excited about the opportunity to join Greenberg Traurig.  Whatever my role, I have always been committed to make California a better place for everyone. Our state is unique, there is so much opportunity and yet we face complex challenges to meet our water, transportation, housing, energy, education and healthcare needs.  I want to combine my knowledge and experience with the Greenberg Traurig platform to find lasting solutions for the challenges and opportunities facing our clients throughout the state,” said Senator Steinberg.

In addition, Senator Steinberg will establish 'The Steinberg Institute for advancing  Mental Health Policy,’ to  further his groundbreaking efforts to uphold the promise California made decades ago to build a full network of community services and support for people living with mental illness.  ”I am grateful to the firm for its support of the institute and excited to continue my work in this important area,” said Senator Steinberg.”

Government Law & Policy Co-Chair, Tom Bond added, “We are thrilled to welcome such an accomplished and qualified professional to lead our California Government Law & Policy Practice. He will be a tremendous asset to Greenberg Traurig’s clients, the Government Law & Policy and Litigation practices, and especially to the firm.”

“I am pleased to be able to continue working with Senator Steinberg in his new role,” said Gene Livingston, chair of the Sacramento office’s Government Law & Policy practice. "His work ethic, integrity and ability to find common ground will be great assets for our clients."

Sacramento Co-Managing shareholder Jeffrey Leacox adds, “It is a pleasure to welcome Senator Steinberg. His knowledge and experience with California law and government will provide our clients invaluable insight.  As a legislator, he is well known for his commitment to mental health, authoring the legislation that became Proposition 63 to provide greater funding for mental health care.  He is recognized in Sacramento and with the leadership of the National Basketball Association for securing the passage of SB 743 that made changes to the California Environmental Quality Act, allowing the Kings’ arena to be built in downtown Sacramento.  Just this past session, he authored bills on insurance (SB 476, political reform (SB 477), medical practice (SB 670), flood protection (SB 753), redevelopment (SB 1129), and the statewide ballot initiative process (SB 1253), a measure strongly supported by former Chief Justice Ron George. Senator Steinberg’s commitment to a greater California is beyond commendable and we are happy to be able to become part of that!”

The California economy ranks among the top 10 globally, and is a world leader in agriculture, biotechnology, education, entertainment, green energy, health care, technology and transportation.  Senator Steinberg will focus his practice to provide strategic counsel in these and other key subject areas.

Steinberg received his J.D. from University of California Davis School of Law and his B.A from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Steinberg is the most recent hire in the trend of strategic expansion of Greenberg Traurig’s Government Law & Policy Practice.  In the past 12 months, the firm has expanded the group with the following hires: Congressman Charles Bass (Washington, D.C.), Edward “Teddy” Eynon (Washington, D.C.), Maria Garcia (Sacramento), Congressman Peter Hoekstra (Washington, D.C.), Randi F. Hutchinson (Washington, D.C.), Congressman Tim Hutchinson (Washington, D.C.), James Grace (Houston/Austin), Killoran Long (Washington, D.C.), Robert Mangas (Washington, D.C.), Robert Y. Maples (Washington, D.C.), Graham “Rusty” Mathews (Washington, D.C.), Jennifer McEwan (Austin), Lauri McKay (Washington, D.C.),  Katie P. Reed (Washington, D.C.), Allison R. Schwartz (Washington, D.C.), Monica P. Schulteis (Washington, D.C.), Jamey Tesler (Boston), Loretta Tuell (Washington, D.C.), Congressman Albert Wynn (Washington, D.C.), and Andy Zausner (Washington, D.C.).

About Greenberg Traurig’s Government Law & Policy Practice

Greenberg Traurig’s Government Law & Policy Practice combines the capabilities of its Federal Practice in Washington D.C. with its state and local practices across the country. The firm’s national team of governmental affairs professionals and attorneys spans major political and commercial capitals throughout the United States, including: Albany, Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Sacramento, Tallahassee, Washington, D.C. Most recently, Greenberg Traurig was named “Law Firm of the Year” for Government Relations by the U.S. News-Best Lawyers 2014 edition of Best Law Firms. The practice also received the most first-tier Government Relations rankings in the U.S. Steinberg is the most recent hire in the trend of strategic expansion of Greenberg Traurig’s Government Law & Policy Practice.

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP

Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, multi-practice law firm with approximately 1750 attorneys serving clients from 36 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm is among the “Power Elite” in the 2014 BTI Client Relationship Scorecard report, which assesses the nature and strength of law firms' client relationships. For additional information, please visit www.gtlaw.com.