Clark & Weinstock and The Washington Group Merge

Washington, Nov. 14, 2008 -- The Washington Group (TWG), a Ketchum company, today announced that it will merge with Clark & Weinstock (C&W), which along with The Washington Group is an Omnicom Group-owned government relations and lobbying firm based in Washington, D.C. The merger is effective immediately and the new company will operate as Clark & Weinstock.

 

The firm’s bipartisan leadership includes many seasoned Washington counselors, including former U.S. Representative Vin Weber, R-Minn., Clark & Weinstock senior Democrat Sandi Stuart and TWG founder John O’Hanlon, both key advisers to Democratic leaders. Among the senior professionals in the combined operation are Moses Boyd, Tonya Speed, Adam Olsen, Fowler West, Jim Noone, Kevin Allen, Kim Farmer, Niles Godes, Jonathan Schwantes, Peg McGlinch, Deirdre Stach, Christopher D’Arcy, David Berteau, Jim Dyer and Ed Kutler.

 

The new firm’s offering brings together decades’ worth of combined Washington experience, creating an extraordinary package of Democratic and Republican advocates with experience in the House, Senate and executive branch, serving a broad and diverse client base in healthcare, telecommunications, global public affairs, finance, tax and trade, defense, technology, transportation, energy and the environment, and agriculture. The firm also has an established government contracting specialty. 

 

“Change is the order of the day,” said Weber. “For the first time in years we have a White House, Senate and House of Representatives all decisively controlled by Democrats. This offering demonstrates our commitment to be at the center of activity for our clients on the wide variety of issues that will be a priority in the coming months and years.” 

 

“I am personally very excited to be working under one roof with my great friends and colleagues while bringing together all the respected and talented folks at Clark & Weinstock,” said O’Hanlon. “This move has really energized everyone at both shops; it is a logical step that creates substantial value for our clients as we are able to provide expanded services. We could not be better positioned for our clients as we prepare for a new administration and a new Congress.”

 

“We look forward to a great partnership with Clark & Weinstock,” said Ketchum Senior Partner and CEO Ray Kotcher. “This is an offering that brings together for our clients and prospects the best of those two firms at a particularly important time as they seek to better understand and navigate the changes that are about to take place in Washington.”

 

Clark & Weinstock provides strategic counsel to leaders of large, complex companies and institutions on major reputational and positioning issues including crisis management, acquisitions and mergers, legislative, regulatory and government developments, marketing trends and competitive positioning, and relations with the financial community and the national media.

 

Founded in 1995, The Washington Group is a bipartisan government relations and strategic consulting firm serving a mix of clients in industries including healthcare, technology, telecommunications, environmental areas, defense, real estate and transportation companies and associations, in virtually all areas of legislative and regulatory activity. Led by John O’Hanlon, The Washington Group has experience at the most senior levels of government.

 

A communications innovator, Ketchum ranks among the largest global public relations agencies, operating in more than 50 countries. With five global practices – Brand Marketing, Corporate, Healthcare, Food and Nutrition, and Technology – and specialty areas that include Concentric Communications (experiential marketing, events and meetings), Ketchum Entertainment Marketing, Ketchum Global Research Network, Ketchum Sports Network, MMG (clinical trial recruitment), and Stromberg Consulting (change management and workplace communications), Ketchum leverages its marketing and corporate communications expertise to build brands and reputations for clients.