DNC Chair Moves To Wall Street –

Former National Chairman of the Democratic National Committee Joseph Andrew last month moved his focus outside the Beltway and onto Wall Street. Andrew is turning his attention to a new positions as a partner at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft and chairman of a newly formed global public affairs group at the firm.

The global public affairs group will meld Andrew’s political background with his knowledge and experience in M&A. With a particular focus on regulated industries, such as energy, telecommunications and pharmaceuticals, he will be working on transactions where industry regulations and government issues overlap. “As you look at the involvement of the EU, IMF [and] the World Bank, what you see is it’s a whole new arena that is a combination of regulatory and government relations that is important for a company that is involved in any kind of cross-border transaction on this globe,” said Andrew. “[This group could be helpful to] everybody out there who is involved in the global marketplace and needs to have help to make sure they can get done what they need to get done.”

The group, which launched on June 6, has seven people on board. Andrew said that number will likely double shortly. He will work out of both the New York and Washington offices.

Andrew said he was attracted to Cadwalader’s stong M&A practice and the impressive transactions the firm has taken on in the last year. “Cadwalader was involved in three of the five largest mergers and acquisitions in the world last year under the leadership of Dennis Block,” he said. “And since the M&A area is where it’s most obvious that you need to have someone who has large political experience as well as transactional background, I was naturally attracted to the firm.”

In addition to the extensive network of CEOs that he met as national chairman, Andrew also has firsthand experience in the private equity and M&A worlds as both a client and a lawyer. In 1995, Andrew and Gerald Richardson founded Indianapolis-based private equity firm The Anson Group, which focuses on biotechnology buyouts and venture capital investing. Andrew served as a principal until 1998 when he sold his stake in the firm and took the position as national chair. Andrew was also a corporate partner at the Indianapolis-based law firm Johnson Smith LLC.

During his career he also has been chief deputy secretary of state for the state of Indiana and a partner and chairman of the entrepreneurial services and intellectual property groups of Indianapolis law firm Bingham, Summers, Welsh & Spilman.

Former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore requested that Andrew act as chairman of the National Convention in 2004, a role he has accepted and will balance with his Cadwalader responsibilities.