South Jersey Law Firm Creates Lobbying Firm

10/30/13

South Jersey Law Firm Creates Lobbying Firm

Law firms have traditionally been known to function as lobbying firms or hire the services of such firms. However, the case of a law firm forming a full-scale and separate lobbying firm is not so common, though that is the strategy that South Jersey's largest law firm, Archer & Greiner, has chosen to adopt. On Tuesday, the law firm announced the launch of a lobbying subsidiary, Archer Public Affairs LLC, as a public affairs affiliate of the law firm.

Archer Public Affairs (APA) will be representing clients regionally and in Washington D.C. It will be providing a full range of governmental, regulatory and external affairs services to the clients. According to the law firm's press release, the mission of the lobbying firm is to enable companies and organizations achieve their business and policy objectives in a complex regulatory, media and political environment.

A wholly owned subsidiary of the law firm Archer & Greiner PC, the Archer Public Affairs LLP will be headquartered in Trenton, near the New Jersey State House. The company will be led by Managing Director Richard S. Mroz. Mr. Mroz has served as an Of Counsel of the law firm for several years and he has held Cabinet-level positions in the state government.

The new lobbying entity would also have the leadership of Co-Managing Dirctor Bill Caruso, a former Executive Director of the New Jersey Assembly Majority Office and Chief of Staff for Congressman Rob Andrews of New Jersey. Other leaders of the lobbying firm include Vincent P. Sarubbi, the former Prosecutor of Camden County, Carlton L. Johnson, former head of the Civil Rights Unit of the City of Philadelphia Law Department, Brian M. Nelson, a member of the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, and John H. "Jack" Fisher III - former Gloucester County Administrator.

Morz has the experience of serving as Chief Counsel to former New Jersey Governor Christie Whitman. He was appointed by President George W. Bush to the Commission on White House Fellowship. He said, "Public affairs representation entails a broad umbrella of services, from lobbying government officials to working with community leaders to managing interactions with media.

Speaking on the strategic move of establishing a separate public affairs affiliate for the law firm, firm Chairman James H. Carll said, "There is a natural nexus between, law, government and politics that dovetails with the intrinsic synergy between our law firms and our new public affairs entity. He emphasized further, "We can seamlessly provide clients with all the resources they need to succeed with the public affairs component, as well as the legal aspects of any project or venture."