Date: November 15, 2006
Contact: Kelly Griffith, Marketing Manager
Phone:
(612) 492-7514
Email: kgriffith@fredlaw.com
For Immediate Release
Shepard Harris To Join Fredrikson & Byron’s Government Relations Practice
Minneapolis, MN November 15, 2006 – – Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. announced that Shepard Harris is joining the firm as a lobbyist in the government relations practice. Harris has more than twelve years of experience in federal, state and local government affairs and public policy in a variety of areas, including health and human service, commerce/workforce development, education funding, taxes and judiciary/public safety.
“We are pleased to have someone with Shep’s depth of experience and connections round out our practice. His knowledge and versatility at all levels of government will be an asset as we support our clients in the 2007 Session” states Kevin Goodno, Chair of Fredrikson & Byron’s Government Relations Group.
Harris, with Goodno, are key members of Fredrikson’s newly launched Government Relations Group. The group provides a comprehensive range of services to clients at all levels of government, including legislative monitoring, issue identification and advocacy, regulatory assistance, and development of government relations strategies.
Harris was most recently the Director of the Twin Cities Jewish Community Government Affairs Program at the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC). In that position, he was responsible for protecting $28 million in annual funding for a network of Twin Cities Jewish community human service agencies and educational institutions. In addition, Harris obtained more than $14 million in new government funding for Jewish agencies over five years.
State Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Minneapolis) has been impressed by Harris’ abilities and expects to see more: “Shep has stood out at the State Capitol and I am confident that he will continue to do so in his new capacity.”
Prior to Harris’ employment at the JCRC, he jumped into Minnesota politics working in the Minnesota Senate’s DFL Caucus research office and serving as Campaign Manger for State Rep. Margaret Anderson Kelliher’s successful 1998 bid for the Minnesota House of Representatives. Harris also gained valuable experience in Washington, D.C. on the staffs of U.S. Senator J. Bennett Johnston (D-LA), and U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown (D-FL). “Shep has taken his experience in federal and state government and used it to help thousands of Minnesotans,” stated State Sen. Richard Cohen (DFL-St. Paul). “He will be a good advocate at any level of government.”
Harris is a graduate of American University, Washington, D.C., and is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana.
Fredrikson & Byron is a 200-attorney law firm based in Minneapolis, with offices in Iowa, London and Monterrey, Mexico. The firm's primary areas of practice include banking, corporate, litigation, employment, health care, intellectual property, international, real estate, securities, and tax. The firm serves a broad range of clients, including multinational corporations, public companies, privately-held businesses, entrepreneurs, government agencies, and family businesses. Fredrikson attorneys also work with individuals on estate planning, family law, and immigration matters. It is the exclusive Minnesota law firm member of the World Services Group, a worldwide network of professional service providers. More information about the firm is available at www.fredlaw.com.