Lobbying world

Waldo McMillan was named head of Cisco Systems Inc.‘s Washington, D.C., office. He previously was vice president for legislative affairs at Charter Communications for six years and before that was a counsel to then-Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

Robert Baldwin joined the Association for Digital Asset Markets as head of policy. He previously was a special adviser at the Treasury Department during the Trump administration.

Andrea Riccio has joined Michael Best Strategies as a principal and member of the government relations group. Riccio previously served as a vice president at S-3 Group for nearly four years and before that was deputy director of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee and worked for then-Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).

Anna Abram, former deputy commissioner for policy, legislation and international affairs at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), joined Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP as a senior adviser. Abram worked for the FDA for nearly four years during the Trump administration and before that was a health policy director and senior adviser to Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.).

Michele Pearce, former acting general counsel of the Department of the Army, has joined Covington & Burling LLP‘s public policy practice in Washington. Pearce was appointed general counsel of the Department of the Army in January 2020. She previously was deputy general at the Defense Department and was senior defense adviser to Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).

Kate Beale was named senior policy director in Crowell & Moring LLP‘s government affairs practice and a director with Crowell & Moring International, the firm’s global public policy affiliate. Beale was previously associate vice president for international advocacy at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. Before that, she worked at the U.S. Agency for International Development during the Obama administration.