(Washington, DC) — Dickstein Shapiro is pleased to announce the election of Mark R. Paoletta as partner and Andrew L. Snowdon as of counsel to the Washington, DC office of Dickstein Shapiro LLP, in the Government Law & Strategy group. Mr. Paoletta and Mr. Snowdon will focus their practices on government investigations, with an emphasis on Congressional investigations and hearings.

Mr. Paoletta most recently served as Chief Counsel for Oversight and Investigations on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, widely regarded as the most effective investigative committee in Congress. In his capacity as Chief Counsel, Mr. Paoletta was responsible for oversight of federal agencies, departments, and programs within the Committee’s jurisdiction, which includes healthcare, energy, trade, telecommunications, the Internet, consumer protection, and the environment. Significantly, Mr. Paoletta managed more than 200 hearings during his 10-year tenure, and he has been one of the longest-serving chief counsels for Oversight and Investigations in the history of the Committee.

Since joining the staff of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee in 2003, Andrew Snowdon has been lead counsel on several major investigations, including BP’s recent pipeline spills in Alaska, Medicaid prescription drug reimbursement, and the 340B drug discount program.

Investigations pursued by the Committee’s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee over the past 10 years involved some of the largest U.S. corporations and highest-profile issues, such as the Hewlett-Packard pretexting scandal, the Ford/Firestone tire recall, and Enron’s collapse. Other significant investigations and hearings have included:  accounting concerns at HealthSouth, Global Crossing and Qwest; corporate governance and other issues involving ImClone; internet child pornography; the E-rate program; management concerns at the National Institutes of Health; anti-depressant use by children; the Medicare reimbursement system; dietary supplements containing Ephedra; and homeland security matters relating to cyber security.

“Mark and Andrew both are highly regarded for their skilled and innovative approaches to investigations, and their collective experience will add new depth to our dynamic Government Law & Strategy Group,” said Michael Nannes, Dickstein Shapiro’s Chairman.

The arrival of Mr. Paoletta and Mr. Snowdon enhances the bipartisan lobbying capabilities of the practice, which consists of former Members of Congress, seasoned government attorneys, lobbyists, and advisors with senior-level experience in highly diverse areas of public service. 

“Given the leadership change in Congress, an increase in government investigations is likely, and with the addition of Mark and Andrew, our firm is well-positioned to address all types of external and internal investigations for our clients,” said Andrew Zausner, head of the firm’s Government Law & Strategy group. “I have no doubt that they will further strengthen our firm’s government relations capabilities and be an asset to our clients.”

Prior to his work with the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Paoletta was a partner at Keck, Mahin & Cate, and before that at O’Connor & Hannan, both in Washington, DC. He also served in the George H.W. Bush Administration as Deputy Associate Director of the Office of Presidential Personnel and later as assistant counsel to the President. In the latter capacity, Mr. Paoletta played a key role in the successful confirmation effort of U.S Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Mr. Paoletta earned his B.A. magna cum laude from Duquesne University, and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Mr. Snowdon served as associate director of the Department of Market Regulation at the NASD. He also was senior counsel at the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission in the Division of Enforcement, and special assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. He began his career as a judicial clerk for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, before becoming an associate at Howrey, Simon, Arnold & White in Washington, DC. Mr. Snowdon earned his B.A. magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Duke University, and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

The Government Law & Strategy group at Dickstein Shapiro is dedicated to providing clients with skilled, focused, and cost-effective advocacy in the councils of both federal and state government. Increasingly, this demands the ready combination of substantive and political resources and a close coordination of government representation with regulatory and administrative counseling. The members of the Government Law & Strategy group possess the wide range of professional and legal capabilities demanded for effective representation.

Click to view the House Energy and Commerce Press Release.

Dickstein Shapiro LLP

Dickstein Shapiro LLP, founded in 1953, is a multiservice law firm with more than 400 attorneys in Washington, DC, New York, and Los Angeles. The firm’s clients include more than 100 of the Fortune 500 companies, start-up ventures and entrepreneurs, multinational corporations, leading financial institutions, charitable organizations, and government officials. The firm’s core practice groups — Antitrust & Dispute Resolution, Business & Securities Law, Corporate & Finance, Energy, Government Law & Strategy, Insurance Coverage, and Intellectual Property — involve the Firm in virtually every major form of counseling, litigation, and advocacy. For additional information, please visit dicksteinshapiro.com.

Related Employee(s): Mark R. Paoletta, Andrew L. Snowdon, Michael E. Nannes, L. Andrew Zausner
Related Practice(s): Government Law & Strategy