Lobbying World

• SNR Denton has created a state attorney general practice run by Bill McCollum and Jeff Modisett. Former Rep. McCollum (R-Fla.) served on the House Judiciary, Financial Services and Intelligence committees, and recently finished a four-year period as the attorney general of Florida. Modisett leaves a partner position with Bryan Cave’s regulatory and public policy group and previously served as the attorney general of Indiana.

• Samantha Smith is joining Google’s Washington team, where she will be a senior associate focusing on policy communications. Smith leaves her position as press secretary for Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.). Before that, she was communications director for Burr’s campaign committee.

{mosads}• Kristy Campbell has been hired as national communications director for the American Conservative Union. Campbell recently worked for former Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum as the communications director for his gubernatorial run in 2010. Before that, she was the main spokeswoman for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, communications director for two of former Gov. Bush’s public policy nonprofits and the Florida communications director of Mitt Romney’s 2008 presidential bid.

• Venable has named partners Scott Hommer and Paul Debolt as the new co-chairmen of the government contracts practice group. Hommer currently focuses on counseling and litigation for clients, specifically technology companies and government contractors. Debolt works with clients regarding federal contracting business and has previously litigated before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

• The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has hired Rachel Brand and Kate Comerford Todd to strengthen the Chamber’s litigation departments. Brand, who will be chief counsel for regulatory litigation, most recently practiced law at WilmerHale. She also worked as associate counsel to the president and as assistant attorney general for legal policy within the Justice Department. Todd will be chief counsel of appellate litigation and currently teaches at George Washington University Law School. Before that, Todd was a partner at Wiley Rein & Fielding.

• Sean Bartlett has joined the United Nations Foundation public affairs department as a communications officer. Bartlett left his position as press secretary for Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.). He also did communications work for Hildebrand Tewes Consulting during the 2008 election cycle.