 Bob Ferguson |
The Ashcroft Law Firm, which received a $2.5M retainer from Qatar in June, has tapped The Hawksbill Group to strengthen the Gulf State's anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism compliance programs.
THG will review documents, provide strategic communications counsel, conduct interviews and engage in outreach to US government officials and policy people on behalf of the Qataris.
Three top General Motors executives, who helped guide the No. 1 US automaker through bankruptcy, launched Hawksbill, which is named after an endangered sea turtle.
Bob Ferguson, who heads the firm, served as GM's senior VP-global public policy. Tim Lee was the automaker's executive VP-global manufacturing/China chairman, while Jaime Ardila held the South America president post.
TALF, which is the firm of former Attorney General and Missouri Senator John Ashcroft, pays THG $165K for the six-month contract that went into effect Aug. 1.
Qatar, which has been under an economic boycott from its Arab neighbors since June, is the home of the US Central Command and 10K American troops.
The Gulf Cooperation Council imposed the boycott for Qatar's close ties with Iran, with which it shares an offshore natural gas field, and alleged support of extremist groups.
Qatar denies ties to extremists.
THG donates a portion of its profit to the Florida Hawksbill Project.
Impact Management Group, which is headed by Republican operative Terry Benham, works to build US support for Ukraine.
Rational 360 has ironed out its six-month $1.2M contract with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to position it as a “sophisticated global investment fund.”
APCO has signed on to promote this month’s visit of Ahmed Al Khateeb, head of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism, to the US.
The Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Tourism has signed on Montieth & Co. for strategic communications and media relations duties as chaos grips neighboring Haiti.
Edelman is negotiating a formal contract with the Bahamas for strategic communications on issues impacting its reputation abroad.
Have a comment? Send it to 
No comments have been submitted for this story yet.