By Casey Sullivan
Feb 19 (Reuters) - Rob McKenna, the former Republican
Attorney General for Washington state, has joined the San
Francisco law firm Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe as a partner in
Seattle, the firm announced on Tuesday.
McKenna, 50, unsuccessfully ran for governor of Washington
last year and returns to private practice after two terms as
state attorney general.
During his tenure as the state's chief legal advisor,
McKenna prioritized cases dealing with cyber security, identity
fraud and intellectual property theft. He was also one of 26
state attorneys general to challenge the Affordable Care Act's
provision requiring individuals to purchase health insurance or
face a fine -- a provision that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme
Court last June.
At Orrick, McKenna will co-chair the firm's public policy
practice, specializing in regulatory compliance, litigation and
policy advocacy.
McKenna said in a statement that he chose Orrick because its
client roster included technology and consumer products
companies.
Before becoming state attorney general, McKenna served as a
state councilman, and from 1988 to 1996 practiced business and
regulatory law at the Seattle law firm Perkins Coie.
Orrick, founded in 1863, staffs more than 1,100 lawyers in
21 offices worldwide and provides legal services for a range of
industries including technology, financial services and energy.
The firm's chairman is Ralph Baxter, who is expected to
step down from his post in March.
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