Colorado Representative Anne McGihon Rejoins Akerman Senterfitt

Akerman continues to expand its Government Affairs and Public Policy Practice Group with Rep. McGihon and her team

WASHINGTON, March 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Akerman Senterfitt announced today that State Representative Anne L. McGihon (D-Denver, Arapahoe) has rejoined the firm. Rep. McGihon will work in the firm's Government Affairs and Public Policy group. She will be assisting clients nationally from Akerman's offices in Denver and Washington D.C.

Rep. McGihon is serving her fourth term in the Colorado General Assembly from House District 3, representing Denver and Arapahoe counties. For the last three sessions, she has chaired the critical House Health and Human Services Committee. In that capacity, she has presided over significant health care reform for the State of Colorado. She was a member of the House Appropriations Committee and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Joint House and Senate Committee on Legal Services. She is a Colorado Commissioner to the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws and serves as a Division Chair.

In 2006, Rep. McGihon authored legislation that created the bi-partisan Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care Reform, known as the 208 Commission. This effort to give every Coloradan an opportunity to provide input on health care reform became nationally recognized. She also authored legislation to create the HJR 1050 Task Force on Behavioral Health, leading to the State's new effort for reform. She worked to pass the first state legislation on physician profiling and has been involved in major public health measures in the state. She was recognized by Colorado Confidential as Most Effective State Representative, 2007 Session and received recognition as a Denver Business Journal Power Book Winner for Health Care, in October 2006.

"It is hard to imagine a more relevant policy expertise than health care," said Richard L. Spees, Managing Shareholder of the firm's Washington, D.C. office. "Anne has been a natural leader in the field for many years. Her private sector experience as an attorney who handled insurance and corporate matters has dovetailed with her public role. She is uniquely qualified to play a major role in the coming health care debates in Washington. She also understands Western issues, which will serve her well representing clients before the Department of Interior," he added.

Rep. McGihon is licensed to practice in Florida, Washington, D.C. and Colorado. She received her undergraduate degree from McGill University, a master's degree in social work and her juris doctorate, with honors, from Florida State University, in Tallahassee. Following graduation, she accepted her first job at Akerman Senterfitt's Orlando, FL office. Her firm, McGihon & Oh-Willeke, LLC (Denver) has practiced in the areas of general business, trusts and estates, and litigation since 1993. Two attorneys from the McGihon firm are joining Akerman at the same time, including Andrew Oh-Willeke and Andrea Montague.

Akerman's Government Affairs and Public Policy Group is a bi-partisan team of 40 experienced attorneys and government affairs professionals located in Washington, D.C., Florida and New York. Akerman assists Fortune 500 companies and governmental entities with a wide range of services, including federal and state appropriations, legislation and policy drafting, issue monitoring and research, regulatory analysis and strategic planning. The firm is particularly recognized for its experience in industries such as banking, education, gaming, health care, tax, water, energy, environment, telecommunications, insurance, infrastructure and transportation.

About Akerman Senterfitt

Akerman is ranked among the top 100 law firms in the United States by The National Law Journal NLJ 250 (2008) in number of lawyers and is one of the largest firms in Florida. With more than 500 lawyers and governmental affairs professionals, the firm serves clients in major business centers throughout the United States, including Miami, New York, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles. For additional information, please visit the firm's Web site at www.akerman.com.

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    Pat Tucker
    RF|Binder Partners, Inc.
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    Stephanie Robinson
    RF|Binder Partners, Inc.
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