By Kevin McCauley
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck has suited up as lobbyist for France’s Arianespace satellite launch company focused on issues related to the National Defense Authorization Act.
Arianespace has launched payloads for the U.S. Air Force. That was cargo required by law to be neither critical to America’s military industrial base nor national security.
Founded in 1980, Arianespace operates a space launch complex in French Guiana. The company claims 50 percent of the commercial satellite launch market.
BHFS has assembled an Arianespace lobbying team composed of Brooks Brunson (ex-senior director congressional affairs at Qwest Communications), David Cohen (former aide to Congressman Jim Leach when he chaired the House Committee of Banking and Financial Services), Mike Eisenberg (ex-aide to Democratic Congressional Whip Steny Hoyer), Arthur Mottur (former senior communications counsel to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation committee) and Manuel Ortiz (veteran lobbyist for Qualcomm, Verizon and Microsoft).
In 2011, Arianespace conducted the first launch of a Russian Soyuz satellite from outside the former Soviet Union.
On Nov. 26, Arianespace and Englewood, Col.-based EchoStar announced a new multi-year launch contract. That relationship dates to 1996 with the Arianespace launched of the Echostar II broadcast/data satellite. |