Akin Gump announced that Galen A. Roehl has joined the firm as a senior policy advisor in its public law and policy practice. Mr. Roehl comes to Akin Gump from USTelecom, the broadband association, where he most recently served as senior vice president for government affairs.
Mr. Roehl is a veteran of Capitol Hill who brings a substantial background in the telecom policy space, particularly in the realm of privacy. At Akin Gump, he will focus on advising members of the telecommunication and high tech industries on policy and legislation that affects their industries.
At USTelecom, Mr. Roehl represented the nation’s leading broadband providers in front of members of both houses of Congress and their key staff. A key member of USTelecom’s leadership, he worked closely with congressional staff on a broad array of legislation and providing significant input on bills related to cybersecurity, data security, tax policy, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reauthorization, video and patent reform. In addition, he worked with USTelecom’s legal and regulatory affairs team to coordinate efforts at the FCC and on Capitol Hill.
Prior to his tenure at USTelecom, Mr. Roehl spent a decade on Capitol Hill working as a policy analyst for commerce, telecommunications and technology for the U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee, where he advised GOP staff on public policy matters related to telecommunications, technology and other issues under the jurisdiction of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. He established a monthly technology policy working group attended by congressional staff, FCC staff and think tank scholars, and provided in-depth analysis of Commerce issues for staff members during policy discussions and debate.
Mr. Roehl’s earlier Capitol Hill experience includes working as a staff member on the Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Insurance, where he helped lead the committee’s efforts on privacy and data security. He also served as legislative director for then-Rep. Connie Mack (R-FL); working as a senior policy advisor to then-Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS); and working as a senior policy advisor and legislative assistant to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights. During his time with the Judiciary Committee, Roehl worked extensively on technology and intellectual property issues.