DLA Piper further strengthens global Government Affairs offering with Phil Hogan appointment

DLA Piper has appointed the former European Commissioner, Minister and Member of the Irish Parliament, Phil Hogan, as a senior strategic and political advisor to the firm.

Mr. Hogan is an experienced political leader, having held offices both nationally and internationally, most recently as European Commissioner for Agriculture and International Trade under two Presidents of the European Commission. Additionally, Mr. Hogan has held a seat in the Irish Parliament for 25 years and a variety of high-level offices within it, including Minister for the Environment and secretary of state in the Ministry of Finance.

Mr. Hogan’s appointment will further strengthen DLA Piper’s Global advisory and Government Affairs capabilities and its ability to offer clients an unparalleled level of advice amongst law firms in this area, helping them to navigate rapidly changing regulatory and business environments. Mr. Hogan will be spearheading a growing team of leading policy, legal and sectoral experts, committed to offering our clients integrated strategic advice going beyond legal expertise and a holistic perspective on regulatory, political and corporate risk management.

Mr. Hogan joins Lord (Edward) Garnier QC, the former UK Solicitor-General; Lord (Andrew) Tyrie, the former Chair of the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards and Chair of the Commons’ Treasury Select Committee; and Lord (Gavin) Barwell, Chief of Staff to the Theresa May Government from 2017-2019, along with an established team of consultants.

Mr. Hogan will be based in DLA Piper’s Government Affairs team in Brussels, led by Richard Sterneberg. The Brussels practice is part of a global government affairs offering with other centres in Washington DC and London, servicing clients from around the world. It is made up of lawyers and policy professionals, many of whom have held senior elected, appointed and staff positions in governments or gained public policy experience in the corporate world.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Hogan said “Global business are operating in increasingly challenging environments around the world and this will only increase over the coming years. Their ability to understand and adapt to international public policy and societal trends will make the difference between success and failure and DLA Piper’s commitment to providing advice in this area is compelling. This is an exciting time to be joining a firm with a truly global reach and focus on the future needs of its clients”.

Simon Levine, DLA Piper’s Global co-CEO and Managing Partner, commented: “Our clients are operating in increasingly complex political and regulatory environments, be it the growing focus on ESG considerations or within rapidly changing global trade relationships. DLA Piper remains committed to offering world leading legal & strategic advice. I am delighted that Phil is joining us and convinced that his unique expertise, experience and perspective will be invaluable to our clients going forward”.