Baker Donelson and The Daschle Group Merge Policy Shops to Create DB3

Nathan Daschle, who was previously president and COO of The Daschle Group, will serve as CEO of DB3.

"DB3 is a next-generation public policy group that is grounded in the bipartisan principles of Tom Daschle and Howard Baker. Both are known for their dedication to public service and as problem solvers who were willing to compromise for the greater good," said Mr. Daschle. "That legacy of public service and bipartisanship will be at the core of DB3's approach to serving our clients, who will benefit from the combined strengths of these two stellar teams and their considerable public and private sector experience."

DB3 encompasses professionals with a deep knowledge of Congress and extensive experience with strategy coordination across all branches of government. In addition to Senator Daschle, who will serve as chair, among DB3's other policy professionals are:

• Niki Carelli (Principal), who has more than 15 years of experience representing health care organizations before Congress and the Executive Branch;
  
• James W. Dyer (Principal), who brings more than 30 years of experience working with the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, including serving as clerk and staff director for 10 years;
  
• Steven M. Hyjek (Principal), whose experience includes representing an array of defense technology developers and manufacturers on defense policy and government procurement matters;
  
• Veronica Pollock (Senior Vice President), who represents a range of international and domestic entities, including foreign governments, non-profit organizations, trade associations, and multinational corporations;
  
• Michael W. Reynolds (Senior Vice President), who previously served as the Deputy Policy Director and Team Lead for Aviation on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation for Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-MS);
  
• Steve S. Ruhlen (Senior Vice President), who served as the chief of staff to the chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, deputy assistant to the vice president of the United States, and chief of staff to four members of Congress;
  
• Mark Van de Water (Senior Vice President), who served on the staff of the Senate Appropriations Committee as Deputy Staff Director and as a professional staff member of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee; and
  
• Tiffani V. Williams (Principal), who has more than 20 years of government affairs experience representing multinational companies and organizations across the health care, energy, food and agriculture, and education sectors.

Baker Donelson Chair and Chief Executive Officer Timothy M. Lupinacci noted, "Our policy professionals from The Daschle Group and the Government Relations and Public Policy Group have worked closely together to advise clients on a wide range of economic, policy, and political issues, so we saw significant benefits to bringing this talent together under one umbrella to better serve as trusted advisors to our clients. DB3 marks an evolution in our ability to provide first-class strategic counsel from professionals with an exceptional knowledge of federal policymaking and its consequences for business. The DB3 team is uniquely qualified to serve as high-impact advocates for our clients through a commitment to the type of bipartisan problem-solving personified by Senator Daschle and Senator Baker."

Senator Tom Daschle has participated in the development and debate of almost every major public policy issue of the last three decades. In 1978, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served for eight years. In 1986, he was elected to the U.S. Senate and was chosen as Senate Democratic Leader in 1994. Senator Daschle is one of the longest-serving Senate Democratic leaders in history and served as both Majority and Minority Leader. During his tenure, Senator Daschle navigated the Senate through some of its most historic economic and national security challenges. Since leaving the Senate, he has remained an active and learned voice among policymakers. In 2007, Senator Daschle joined with former Majority Leaders George Mitchell, Bob Dole, and Howard Baker to create the Bipartisan Policy Center, an organization dedicated to finding common ground on some of the pressing public policy challenges of our time.

Senator Howard Baker began his law practice in 1949, working at the Huntsville, Tennessee, law firm founded in 1888 by his grandfather James Baker. His public service career began in 1966, when he became the first Republican popularly elected to the U.S. Senate from Tennessee. During his 18 years in the Senate, Senator Baker became known as "The Great Conciliator" for his ability to broker compromises across party lines. He gained national recognition in 1973 as vice chairman of the Senate Watergate Committee. He concluded his Senate career in 1985 after two terms as Majority Leader (1981 to 1985) and two terms as Minority Leader (1977 to 1981), but his public service continued with his roles as Chief of Staff to President Ronald Reagan and as U.S. Ambassador to Japan. In February 2005, Senator Baker returned to Baker Donelson, where he served as senior counsel to the Firm, focusing his practice on public policy and international matters, until his passing in 2014.