Lobbying world

David Norquist, deputy secretary of Defense during the Trump administration, has joined Covington and Burling‘s aerospace and defense industry practices as a senior adviser. Norquist served as deputy secretary from 2019 to 2021 and served as acting secretary of Defense during the confirmation process of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Nicholas Mikula is joining the government relations firm Invariant as a lobbyist. Mikula previously was a senior strategy consultant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and special assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence during the Trump administration. Before that, he was a professional staff member and deputy communications director for Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee.

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP announced that Mark Warren has joined the firm as a shareholder in its Washington office. Warren previously was chief tax counsel to Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee and was deputy assistant secretary for legislative affairs at the Treasury Department during the George W. Bush administration. 

Kirkland & Ellis LLP named Allison Murphy a partner in its government, regulatory and internal investigations practice group, effective June 1. Murphy is the chief oversight counsel for Democrats on the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. She also served as White House associate counsel under former President Obama.

The U.S. Green Building Council named Ben Evans as its new federal legislative director. Evans previously was vice president for public affairs at the Alliance to Save Energy.

Coinbase announced Faryar Shirzad as its new chief policy officer. Shirzad previously was global co-head of government affairs at Goldman Sachs. He also served as deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs under former President George W. Bush.

Becca Durr was named a principal with Public Strategies Washington. She previously served as senior director of advocacy for the Credit Union National Association, where she worked for two years. Before that, she was regional director of political affairs at the American Medical Association.

Mayer Brown LLP announced that Carl Risch, former assistant secretary of State for consular affairs during the Trump administration, joined the firm’s global mobility and migration practice. Risch was also deputy director of the Executive Office for Immigration Review during the Trump and Biden administrations.