Peter Schorsch
Jeb Bush is bringing his star power to the law firm of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney in a strategic affiliation through his firm Jeb Bush & Associates.
The two-term Florida governor and former presidential candidate will be providing expertise as a consultant to the firm and its clients, according to a statement by the firm first shared with FloridaPolitics.com.
“This move adds to our firm’s distinguished reputation as a leader in providing strategic advice on government, regulatory and business matters,” said Buchanan CEO Joseph Dougherty. “There are very few people that have the breadth of experience that Governor Bush has both in the public and private sector. We believe his insight will be a tremendous asset to our attorneys and clients.”
“Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney is an outstanding adviser to its clients, and I look forward to collaborating with them,” Bush said. “We live in a complex business and political environment, and I believe that putting my knowledge and experience together with Buchanan’s professional acumen will help Buchanan’s clients grow and prosper.”
In his new role, Bush — who will not be lobbying — will focus primarily on guidance for issues concerning Florida, the state he led as governor from 1999 to 2007.
“Those of us who have had the pleasure of working with the Governor in the past now have the opportunity to do so again, and those who haven’t can look forward to a truly rewarding experience. This is an exciting development for the firm and for our clients,” said longtime Bush friend and adviser John “Mac” Stipanovich, who chairs Buchanan’s Florida Government Relations practice.
In a way, the new partnership is somewhat of a homecoming for Bush.
Bush was a key surrogate when Stipanovich served as Florida’s executive director for the Reagan-Bush 1984 campaign. He was also Secretary of Commerce when Stipanovich was working as chief of staff. In a friendship that spans more than 30 years, Stipanovich served as a senior adviser during Bush’s unsuccessful 1994 gubernatorial bid.
Buchanan principal Mike Harrell was Bush’s golf partner on Sundays for the eight years while governor and was behind the initiative to bring the two firms together. Kim McGlynn is another Bush alum; she was on staff in the campaign headquarters for both 1990 and 1994. Jim Magill also was on staff for two sessions in Bush’s second term, after having done advance work on all three campaigns.
Bush brings to the firm a long, successful record both in the public and private sectors.
Beginning his career with various roles at the Texas Commerce Bank, Bush moved to Florida and served as the state’s Secretary of Commerce from 1987 to 1988. After a successful run as Florida’s 43rd Governor, Bush returned to private consulting with Jeb Bush & Associates. During his presidential campaign this summer, Bush touted his strong economic record, where Florida added more than 1.3 million jobs and reduced taxes by $19 billion during his watch. When he left office in 2007, the state’s economy had grown by 7.2 percent and its unemployment rate was only 3.4 percent.
In 2015, Bush launched a bid for The White House. Although he raised an impressive war chest, he dropped out of the Republican presidential primary after the South Carolina primary in February.
Earlier this year, Bush announced he would teach a 10-day elective course on governmental leadership at Texas A&M.
Bush is the founder of the Foundation for Florida’s Future, a nonprofit public policy organization, as well as the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a nonprofit charitable think tank to develop solutions for improving education in the U.S. He also chaired the Board for the National Constitution Center, a Philadelphia-based institution for research and education on the U.S. Constitution.
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC employs nearly 500 attorneys and government relations professionals in 17 offices nationwide. The firm provides advice and guidance in a broad range of areas: health care, financial services and banking, litigation, intellectual property, labor and employment, real estate, corporate and business law, tax, energy and government relations.
Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.
