Akin Gump Promotes Valerie Morse White to Senior Consultant, Welcomes Casey Higgins as Senior Policy Advisor

(Washington, D.C.) – Akin Gump has promoted Valerie Morse White, a government relations professional with more than 30 years of corporate federal advocacy experience, to the role of senior consultant at the firm. The firm will also welcome Casey Higgins as senior policy advisor. Ms. Higgins previously served as Assistant to the Speaker for Policy and Trade Counsel for former Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI).

Ms. White previously served as a consultant to Akin Gump. Both Ms. White and Ms. Higgins will be in the firm’s public law and policy practice in its Washington, D.C. office.

Ms. White’s practice involves representing clients before Congress and the executive branch on a wide variety of issues, with a particular focus on financial services. She has held a number of senior corporate advocacy positions throughout her career, including vice president of government relations at American Express, and also ran her own consulting firm, where she represented clients in the financial services sector.

“Valerie is a consummate professional and brings a wealth of advocacy experience across many key areas, including financial services, civil litigation and pension issues,” stated Brian Pomper, co-head of Akin Gump’s public law and policy practice. “She has strong relationships on Capitol Hill, particularly with the House Financial Services Committee and members of the Congressional Black Caucus, and a strong track record of success on behalf of businesses with legislative or policy interests in Washington. I’m thrilled that she has taken on an expanded role on our team.”

While serving in the Speaker’s office, Ms. Higgins focused on matters such as immigration, intellectual property, trade policy, privacy and cybersecurity. She will bring to the firm broad experience with issues before the House Judiciary, Ways and Means and Homeland Security committees.

“Casey’s years of experience on the House GOP leadership team will be invaluable for our firm and clients,” stated public law and policy practice co-head Hunter Bates. “She has strong relationships throughout the House, particularly with House Republican leadership, and a deep substantive knowledge of both policy and process. I am excited to welcome her.”

Commenting on Ms. Higgins’ time in the Speaker’s office, former House Speaker Paul Ryan said, “Casey is steady, smart, effective and the kind of person you want on your side. Respected by members and staff alike, Casey became a force within the leadership team. Whether it was trade, immigration or so many other big fights, Casey is the one I trusted on some of our most politically challenging and complex issues. She is a dear friend, a Wisconsinite through and through, and I have no doubt that she is going to see continued success.”

About Valerie Morse White

As senior vice president of Beneficial Corporation, Ms. White managed all facets of the government relations department, including federal and state legislative and regulatory affairs, and corporate policy formation.

Ms. White also served as vice president of government relations at American Express Corporation, where she was the primary corporate representative for all banking and financial services issues. During her tenure, she accomplished a proactive set of financial services legislative and regulatory goals, collectively established with the corporation’s senior management team and board of directors.

Ms. White commented, “I am excited to continue my career at Akin Gump. The firm is home to the preeminent public policy practice in Washington and is strong in many of the areas I have focused on throughout my career, including financial services and Judiciary Committee matters. I look forward to continuing to put my advocacy skills to work on behalf of Akin Gump’s clients.”

Ms. White is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government Senior Executive Fellows Program.

About Casey Higgins

While serving in the Speaker’s office, Ms. Higgins advised Speaker Ryan and Republican leadership on a host of matters under the purview of the Ways and Means, Judiciary, Homeland Security and House Administration committees. She also served as the primary liaison for Speaker Ryan to the Obama administration and, subsequently the Trump administration, House and Senate Leadership and committee offices.

Prior to serving in the Speaker’s office, Ms. Higgins served as Trade Counsel to the House Committee on Ways and Means, and also as Rep. Ryan’s legislative counsel.

Speaking on her move to the firm, Ms. Higgins said, “I was drawn to Akin Gump because of its deep, bipartisan platform and focus on a number of key areas. During my tenure in the House, I was proud to be able to work with both my Republican and Democratic colleagues to advance key legislation, and I look forward to putting the same skills and effort to work on behalf of the firm’s clients.”

Ms. Higgins received her J.D. and certificate in law and public policy from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law in 2011, and her B.A. in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2008.

About Akin Gump’s Public Law and Policy Practice

The public law and policy practice at Akin Gump has long understood that solutions to many issues facing clients involve the very processes by which legislation and policy are conceived, developed and implemented by governments in the United States and around the world. For this reason, Akin Gump has built and maintains one of the largest and most diverse government relations practices of any major law firm worldwide. The firm’s practice stresses careful evaluation of client issues and detailed design of strategies and tactics to achieve objectives and provide advocacy that is executed in an effective, timely and coordinated manner.

The practice is consistently top rated in the field of government relations by legal directories Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500, and its members have been named Top Lobbyists by The Hill and MVPs by Law360 and as industry leaders by a number of business and legal publications.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

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