WilmerHale is pleased to announce that former Secretary of the US Department of the Interior and US Senator Ken Salazar formally joins the firm on Monday, June 10, 2013 as a partner and will anchor WilmerHale’s newly-planned Denver office.
“We are delighted to welcome Secretary Salazar to WilmerHale,” said Co-Managing Partner Robert Novick. “Ken is the rare combination of a highly-skilled lawyer and national political figure who has served at the highest levels of both the executive and legislative branches of government. As an Interior Secretary, US Senator and State Attorney General, Ken adds to the firm’s rich tradition of lawyers who have served at the highest levels of government, and will fit seamlessly into WilmerHale. With his deep roots in Colorado, Ken will spearhead WilmerHale’s new Denver office, extending the firm’s reach into a region with vibrant energy, natural resources, technology and financial sectors.”
At WilmerHale, Secretary Salazar will provide legal, strategic and policy advice to national and international clients, particularly on matters at the intersection of law, business and public policy. He will draw on his deep experience in energy, environmental and natural resources, and tribal issues to assist the firm’s clients.
“I am proud to join WilmerHale, one of the nation’s top law firms,” said Secretary Salazar. “It handles some of the most complex legal matters, and has a longstanding commitment to public service, civil rights and social justice. I look forward to leading WilmerHale’s entry into the Rocky Mountain region, which is integral to the growing national and global economy.”
A Colorado native, Secretary Salazar served as US Secretary of the Interior from 2009 to 2013 and represented Colorado in the US Senate from 2004 to 2008. Before his election to the Senate, he served as Colorado Attorney General from 1999 to 2004, and as executive director of Colorado’s Department of Natural Resources from 1987 to 1994. In addition, Secretary Salazar practiced law for 11 years at two Denver firms.
Secretary Salazar earned his undergraduate degree from Colorado College in 1977, and his law degree from the University of Michigan in 1981. He also received honorary doctorates of law from Colorado College in 1993 and the University of Denver in 1999.