WASHINGTON, D.C., September 7—Brunswick Group, the London-based corporate and crisis communications firm, has opened its second U.S. office in Washington, D.C., and hired David Shapiro, formerly executive vice president at Interpublic litigation public relations boutique Bork & Associates, as partner and head of the new office.
 
An attorney, Shapiro’s experience in the nation’s capital includes positions as executive director of the National Association of Manufacturers, as press secretary to Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and as an Emmy-winning reporter and producer for the MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour, before joining Bork, which was part of The Cassidy Companies and later Shandwick International.
 
“David’s depth and breadth of experience is outstanding and his addition makes Brunswick’s litigation offer second to none,” says Brunswick partner Tim Payne. “In addition, his regulatory expertise will allow us to provide transaction clients with guidance and support in Washington to compliment our existing capability in Brussels.”
 
Shapiro will work closely with another recent Brunswick hire, former Hill & Knowlton litigation practice director Michael Buckley. Other major new hires in recent months include James Rubin, who served as assistant secretary of state for public affairs in the Clinton administration, and Steve Lipin, former finance editor of The Wall Street Journal.
 
Says Shapiro, “All too often litigation strategies focus on generating news clips or waging political warfare against opposing counsel instead of being geared toward supporting the client’s larger legal and business objectives.”
 
In addition to litigation counsel, the Washington office will also work closely with Brunswick’s well-established Brussels office to provide clients on both sides of the Atlantic with advice on regulatory matters.