Former Dem senator joins top lobby firm

Former Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) has joined Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck as a strategic adviser in its government relations department.

{mosads}The lobbying firm, which ranks among one of the largest on K Street by revenue, said he will be focusing on energy policy and ”the interrelationship between the business sector and the U.S. government.”

“Sen. Begich is a smart addition to our growing strategic services team, which he will lead with Barry Jackson,” said Marc Lampkin, the head of Brownstein’s Washington office. Jackson is Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) former chief of staff.

The two men “will assist our clients in gaining a better understanding of how to solve problems across party lines in this political environment,” Lampkin added in his statement. “They both have an uncanny ability to cut through gridlock in Washington and are uniquely positioned to get our clients’ projects across the finish line.”

Begich lost a close race November’s midterm elections, in which Republicans won control of the Senate. In February, he launched a consulting firm called Northern Compass Group that had a physical location in Alaska and a mailing address in Washington, D.C., saying he would help nonprofits and businesses get off the ground.

“Some of my colleagues go into it, ‘Oh, we’re going to lobby and be of counsel,’ ” Begich told the Alaska Dispatch News at the time. “What I’m interested in is giving strategic advice and business advice.”

He also became the vice president for policy and development at the National Association of Home Care and Hospice (NAHC).

“I look forward to working alongside the energetic and talented team at Brownstein because they understand what it means to focus on results — no matter how tough the challenge may be,” Begich said in a statement on Wednesday.

“I am confident that with a little bit of creativity and a lot of common sense, our unique and bipartisan approach will deliver real solutions,” he said. “As an Alaskan, I am especially looking forward to bringing my diverse experience working on energy issues to the table and supporting this critical, job-creating industry.”

Begich is banned from lobbying for two years, but he is still able to give advice on advocacy strategy. He served in the Senate from 2009 to 2015 and was mayor of Anchorage from 2003 to 2009.

Brownstein has many clients in the energy sector, including Citgo Petroleum, Cobalt International Energy and Lario Oil & Gas Company.

The firm banked $5.83 million in lobbying fees during the first three months of 2015, making it the No. 3 firm in town.