Former Sen. Mel Martinez, in an interview a day after DLA Piper confirmed he would join the firm as a partner, said he was attracted to the firm's global presence, and believes he can help build DLA Piper's presence in Latin America and in Florida.
Martinez, 62, spoke from São Paulo, Brazil, where he is "looking at the prospects of the firm expanding its practice in Brazil." Martinez said he spoke with three other law firms during his search, but "I just really didn't want to make this an exhaustive thing because it can get exhausting. At some point, I developed a comfort level with DLA, and I decided this was a place I wanted to be."
Martinez said he expects to spend roughly a third of his time in Washington, with the rest split between Florida and abroad. The firm will open an office near his home in Orlando, he said, describing it as, "at minimum, a one-person office," and he will also work from Tampa.
Martinez didn't rule out eventually lobbying when a two-year ban against lobbying Congress is up, but said, "That's not the principal focus of what I think the firm wants for me to do."
Comments