Butler, Snow, O'Mara,
Stevens & Cannada PLLC (Butler Snow) announced today that Former Mississippi
Governor
Haley Barbour and his Former Chief of
Staff Paul Hurst will join the law firm. Barbour and Hurst will provide leadership
to the firm in the areas of economic development, government relations,
strategic planning and business development.

"Governor Barbour and Paul are tremendous assets for our firm, and we are
excited to have them as part of our team," said Butler Snow Chairman
Donald Clark
Jr. "Their leadership during some of the most difficult times in our state's
history is unprecedented. We are fortunate that this legacy of leadership and
innovation will continue at our firm, and both our team and our clients will
benefit greatly."
Barbour became just the second Republican governor elected in
Mississippi since Reconstruction, and has
served as governor for the past eight years. During his tenure, Barbour and his
team realigned economic development and created thousands of higher paying jobs,
enacted comprehensive tort reform, reorganized job training efforts and led the
state through the worst natural disaster in American history.
Barbour also previously served as the chairman of both the Republican National
Committee and the Republican Governors Association and as the White House
political director for President
Ronald Reagan in
the 1980s. He later helped found the lobbying group now known as BGR Group, a
Washington, D.C.-based lobbying firm.
"I am excited about this next chapter in my career and very pleased that I will
be working with Butler Snow, a firm with strong
Mississippi roots and one with a progressive regional and national
platform. I also look forward to working with the new leadership in the state to
continue to focus on issues important to our people and our businesses," stated
Governor Barbour.
Hurst was named chief of staff by Barbour in 2007 and previously served as chief
counsel for the administration. Prior to serving in the governor's office, Hurst
was a member of Butler Snow. Hurst received a Juris Doctorate from the
University of Mississippi School of Law and a
Bachelor of Arts in political science from
Vanderbilt
University. "The last eight years have been enormously challenging and we've accomplished a
great deal, but I'm anxious to get back to Butler Snow to take on new and
different challenges. The firm is committed to strategic growth and innovative
approaches and I look forward to helping achieve those objectives," Hurst said.
Butler Snow is one of the largest firms in the Southeast and has a significant
regional presence and an ever-growing national and international reputation.
Butler Snow has gained major recognition in various practices including the
public finance and incentives practice; products liability and commercial
litigation; business and financial services; and real estate, energy and tax.
The firm has also developed a significant practice in the pharmaceutical,
medical device and healthcare industry for both business and litigation, and the
firm represents clients nationally and internationally.
In addition to joining Butler Snow as described above, Barbour will also join
BGR Group as its Founding Partner and will work on national and international
policy matters with that firm. He will also speak at political and business
events and write a book about leadership during the Hurricane Katrina crisis.
About Butler Snow
Butler, Snow, O'Mara, Stevens & Cannada, PLLC, is a full-service law
firm with more than 175 attorneys representing local, regional, national and
international clients from offices in
Birmingham
and
Montgomery, Ala.;
Greater Jackson,
Bay St. Louis,
Gulfport and
Oxford,
Miss.;
Greater Nashville and
Memphis, Tenn.;
Baton
Rouge and
New Orleans, La.; and
Greater Philadelphia, Penn. For more
information, visit
www.butlersnow.com.
About BGR Group
BGR Group is a global leader in government affairs, strategic
communications, and investment banking with offices in
Washington, D.C. and London. BGR has extensive business relationships
around the world and the firm represents a diverse, blue-chip clientele which
includes Fortune 500 companies, international governments, trade associations,
non-profits, academic institutions, hospitals, coalitions, and state and local
governments.
