Former Sen. Hutchison joins lobby firm

Former Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) is joining a top law and lobby firm.

Hutchison will be senior counsel to Bracewell & Giuliani LLP in its Dallas office. The ex-senator will consult with the firm’s clients, especially those in the banking, energy, transportation and telecommunications sectors.

{mosads}Bracewell’s partners said Hutchison will be valuable to the firm.

“Our firm has a strong presence in Dallas, so adding Senator Hutchison provides a great asset, not only in Dallas, but in all of our offices,” said Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor and firm partner, in a statement.

The ex-senator said she appreciated the firm’s Texas ties.

“I am pleased to join a firm with deep Texas roots that now has offices throughout the world, providing clients with representation wherever they do business,” Hutchison said.

Bracewell is a prominent law firm with offices throughout the world, including in Washington, and has a solid lobbying practice. It’s particularly known for its expertise in energy and environment issues.

Hutchison, Texas’s first woman senator, joins a growing list of ex-lawmakers from last Congress who have headed to law and lobby firms. Former Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and ex-Reps. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.), Steven LaTourette (R-Ohio) and Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) are just some of the names who have gone to K Street.

Hutchison, however, does not plan to lobby.

“I don’t want to directly talk with my former Senate colleagues [about client matters],” she told the Dallas Morning News. “I want to focus on advising clients on the regulatory process, legislative attitudes and the likelihood of government action. … I will not be lobbying.”