Taft is pleased to announce that Clifton R. S. Williams III has joined the firm as a director of public affairs in the Public Affairs Strategies Group (PASG). Williams will provide government affairs advisory services with a focus on municipal, educational policy, and infrastructure matters.

The addition of Williams brings significant experience to Taft’s diverse and bipartisan public affairs group and expands the firm’s Washington, DC practice and its Ohio presence. In February 2021, Taft announced that 11 attorneys, lobbyists, and/or support professionals joined the firm en masse to launch PASG, which was followed by integrating the existing Taft government affairs attorneys and lobbyists into PASG’s client service. Three additional attorneys and/or lobbyists have joined Taft’s PASG since the February announcement as the result of an ongoing aggressive recruiting strategy. Since 2017, Taft has grown from approximately 400 attorneys to 625 today.

Prior to joining Taft in 2021, Williams served as District Director for Ohio’s 11th Congressional District, the Office of Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge. He was responsible for assisting with the development and implementation of the Congresswoman’s strategic legislative agenda and outreach priorities, and represented her at meetings and community events throughout Northeast Ohio. He met regularly with elected officials and local community groups to form partnerships to advance the office’s strategic outreach priorities. Clifton also oversaw the recruitment, hiring, and training of district Congressional staffers.

Williams’ additional prior experience service to Ohio’s 11th Congressional District included a wide range of responsibilities in Congresswoman Fudge’s Washington, DC office. In his various roles, he was responsible for advising and briefing the Congresswoman, along with drafting legislation and resolutions, amendments, statements, and questions for the record. His responsibilities also included researching, analyzing, and advising her on legislation in the House Committees on Education and the Workforce, Appropriations, Ethics, Ways and Means, Veterans Affairs, Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Science and Technology, and Homeland Security.

Taft’s federal practice involves developing impactful strategies and advocating for its clients before the U.S. Congress, the White House, and executive branch agencies. The firm continues to be strategic in its growth to expand its public affairs advisory work in the government contracting area, housing, and urban development matters, as well as the energy, environmental, IT and data privacy, and health care industries. Taft’s PASG also provides important legal and advocacy work at the state, county, and township levels on behalf of clients before legislative, public, and regulatory entities.

“We are excited to welcome Clifton to our growing and diverse public affairs strategies team,” said Lacy Johnson, partner-in-charge of Taft’s Washington, DC office and a member of the firm’s PASG. “Clifton’s extensive time working on Capitol Hill and in the state of Ohio will be valuable to Taft clients. Taft is fully committed to expanding the public affairs group with top talent, and Clifton’s background and experience exemplifies the strength of our recruitment strategy.”

Taft’s PASG is engaged in federal, state, and local legislative and executive branch lobbying and consulting, along with developing federal, state, and local legislative, executive branch, and other related strategies on behalf of Taft clients.