Our firm has maintained an active legislative practice for many years in conjunction with the other aspects of our tax work. Several partners in Washington devote significant time to legislative and government relations work, and we maintain ongoing contacts with Members and key staff of the Finance, Ways & Means and Joint Tax Committees. We have found that such relationships regularly provide important information (often at the "early warning" stage) on legislative developments, as well as better access to Members and more rapid responses to clients' legislative concerns.

We have been quite successful in advocating clients' legislative interests by having our technical professionals in specific substantive areas operate as a team with the firm's leislators. We perform such work for domestic and international corporations, trade associations, ad hoc coalitions, charitable organizations and individuals. Our role varies with the needs of each particular case. In some instances, we assume primary or lead responsibility for all aspects of a legislative problem; in others, we serve as a technical or political backup to a client's representative or as a part of the client's team of lobbyists.

In the course of our legislative work, we provide a variety of different services, including, for example, active direct lobbying with the Congress or with Treasury Department and other Administration officials, developing political strategy, assembling coalitions of taxpayers to advocate common legislative interests, scheduling meetings with and providing introductions to key tax policymakers, monitoring and timely reporting on developments and trends, attending hearings and meetings and analyzing specific legislative proposals. We draft suggested statutory provisions, supporting memoranda and report language for possible use by staff personnel. We also testify on behalf of clients, prepare clients' representatives for testimony and develop special briefing programs and presentations.