Over time, we have developed a set of principles – ethics, if you will – that guide all of the work we do with clients and each other. They reflect our commitment to serving clients professionally and with utmost integrity:

Put the client first. Our top priority is to serve the client. We “breathe, eat, and sleep” the client’s problem and solution.

Measure our success by our clients’ success. Through conversations with us early on in an engagement, our clients define what success will look like. As illustrated by our case studies, a victory may mean anything from avoiding bankruptcy to staying out of the press or getting enabling legislation passed – all of which, directly or indirectly, have a positive impact on the bottom line. We gather client feedback after the work is completed to help us keep improving our performance.

Serve clients with the full resources of the firm, not just teams or individuals. Each client’s situation is unique, requiring a tailored mix of skills and approaches to develop a winning solution. So, at the beginning of each engagement, we assemble the best core team for the task. But as new needs arise, teams can reach across our network of offices for experts in any of our service lines or public affairs and public relations disciplines.

Maintain a nonpartisan stance. While many of us cut our teeth on political campaigns and some of us still offer counsel to political candidates from time to time, as a firm we are resolutely nonpartisan. Nonpartisanship allows us to preserve good relationships across the political landscape. This approach, coupled with our ongoing research, enable us to stay up-to-the-minute on changes in the law and political decision-making processes. Our clients derive enormous benefits from this access and knowledge.

Preserve confidentiality. We go to great lengths to preserve our clients’ confidentiality. We do not publicize the clients we serve (except as needed to guard against potential conflicts of interest) and we do not discuss the work we do for them. While implementing an agreed strategy, we do not speak in public on behalf of our clients unless they specifically ask us to serve as their spokesperson. On occasions where we have multiple teams serving clients in the same industry, we take great care with staffing and working papers to safeguard confidential information.