Former Rep. Perlmutter of Colorado joins lobbying firm Holland & Knight

Two days after ending his 16-year tenure representing Denver’s western suburbs in Congress, former Democratic U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter has joined one of the nation’s top corporate lobbying firms as a partner.

Holland & Knight, a Florida-based law and lobbying giant, announced Thursday that Perlmutter had joined the firm as a general practitioner and a member of its public policy and regulation group.

“After dedicating the past 25 years to serving my community, I’m eager to continue positively impacting public policy and regulation issues, in a different capacity,” Perlmutter said in a press release. “I’m excited to build new Colorado opportunities while remaining close to Capitol Hill and look forward to assisting our clients by leveraging the knowledge I’ve gained and the relationships I continue to nurture in both government and in business.”

Perlmutter was first elected to represent Colorado’s 7th Congressional District, centered on Jefferson and Adams counties to the west of Denver, in 2006, and served eight consecutive terms before retiring. He previously served two terms in the Colorado state Senate between 1995 and 2003 and briefly launched a bid for governor in 2017 before bowing out to fellow Democratic then-U.S. Rep. Jared Polis.

Founded in 1968, Holland & Knight represents corporate and public-sector clients across a wide variety of industries. In recent years, its Colorado clients have included the city of Aurora, the Denver Health and Hospital Authority, Sundrop Fuels and the Westmoreland Coal Company, according to House disclosure reports. Nationally, the firm has represented large corporations including Alphabet, Comcast, Tesla and Peabody Energy, along with trade groups like the American Hospital Association, the American Chemistry Council and the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The firm’s roster of lobbyists and advisors includes a long list of former members of Congress from both parties, including ex-Reps. Ron Klein, Jim Davis, Tom Davis and Tom Reynolds. It reported nearly $32 million in federal lobbying income through the first three quarters of 2022, the third-highest figure of any firm, according to watchdog group OpenSecrets.

In a statement, Rich Gold, the head of Holland & Knight’s public policy and regulation group, praised Perlmutter’s “commitment to addressing energy transition and climate change issues” during his time in office.

“With the recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, Ed’s knowledge and relationships will further enhance the prospects of our clean energy and technology clients,” Gold said.