Bingham McCutchen LLP announced today the expansion of its global regulatory and transactional practice and its Bingham Consulting LLC capabilities with the addition of former White House deputy counsel John Schmitz. Schmitz will join the firm as a partner and principal in Bingham Consulting LLC in the Washington, D.C., office.
Before joining Bingham, Schmitz served as managing partner of Schmitz Global Partners, a consulting firm with offices in Washington, D.C., and Berlin, Germany, specializing in the representation of U.S. and European companies in complex international transactions and regulatory matters. Previously, Schmitz served as a partner at Mayer Brown from 1993 to 2009 and was the founding partner of the firm’s offices in Germany. Before joining Mayer Brown, Schmitz served as deputy counsel to President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993.
“John’s skill and vast experience strategically aligns with our efforts to expand our international representations both in the U.S. and abroad,” said Richard Taffet, a senior member of Bingham’s litigation area and a partner in the New York office. “John’s deep roots in both the business and regulatory community nationally and in continental Europe will add tremendous value for our existing global client base and will bolster our strong position in providing legislative services in our Washington, D.C., office.”
Schmitz has significant experience in complex public policy matters. On behalf of the U.S. government, he negotiated numerous international agreements, including the 1996 U.S.-German Open Skies Aviation Agreement and the 1997 U.S.-E.U. Heavy Electrical Equipment Procurement dispute and agreement (resulting in the reform of the German Procurement Code).
“John is a world-class lawyer with an extraordinarily broad range of skills,” said Chris Cox, president of Bingham Consulting and a partner in Bingham’s Corporate Practice Group. “His comprehensive understanding of U.S. and European regulatory environments coupled with his extensive network of international contacts will benefit our consulting group clients on a number of fronts, including cross-border transactional work.”
Bingham’s strong leadership, robust global platform, deep talent and solid reputation attracted Schmitz to the firm.
“I am delighted to join Bingham and Bingham Consulting,” said Schmitz. “I’ve long been impressed with how ChairmanJay Zimmerman’s vision has transformed Bingham into a leading global law firm that can seamlessly serve international clients in a number of complex areas, as well as with the cutting-edge services Bingham Consulting can offer clients. I look forward to applying my years of experience in law and government to serve these clients.”
Schmitz’s addition to the Washington, D.C., office continues its impressive recent growth. In September, Clara Poffenberger joined Bingham’s D.C. office as a partner in the firm’s environmental practice. In July, the office added 13 lawyers, including Investment Management partners Thomas Harman, W. John McGuire and Christopher Menconi. Also in July, Bingham Consulting added Dr. Roman Popadiuk, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine and senior staff member of the National Security Council, as a principal in the Washington, D.C., office.
