Akin Gump announced that Brendan M. Dunn, formerly policy advisor and counsel to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), will join Akin Gump as a partner in its public law and policy practice. Mr. Dunn, who served as chief advisor to Majority Leader McConnell and the Senate GOP leadership on tax, trade, financial services and pension matters before Congress, was the key staff architect of the successful effort to secure the passage last year of the historic Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. He is expected to start at the firm on May 24.
“The addition of Brendan further underscores why our public law and policy practice is so highly regarded,” said Akin Gump chairperson Kim Koopersmith. “He is a very talented individual with skills in a wide range of areas—including tax, financial services, trade, and health care—that our clients will find invaluable. I am truly delighted to welcome Brendan to Akin Gump.”
While working for Majority Leader McConnell for the past five years, Mr. Dunn served as the primary liaison to the business community on a wide range of policy issues. Following the 2016 election, he served as the point person for the Senate GOP leadership on tax reform negotiations with the so-called Big Six—the White House, Department of the Treasury, Senate Finance Committee, House Ways & Means Committee, Senate Majority leadership and House Majority leadership. Mr. Dunn also helped shepherd the Senate passage of bipartisan legislation to ease the regulatory burden on community banks via banking regulatory relief legislation (S.2155).
Prior to working with the Senate GOP leadership, Mr. Dunn served a two-year stint as special counsel and general counsel of the Senate Finance Committee, advising the committee’s ranking member, Orrin Hatch (R-UT), on a range of health, tax and entitlement issues.