Washington, DC, April 30, 2007 — Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC announced today that Robert S. Winters has joined the firm as a shareholder in Washington, D.C. Winters was most recently chief tax counsel for the House Committee on Ways and Means, where he was responsible for drafting tax provisions to implement objectives set by the committee. He has also served as special counsel for the committee, and prior to that, was legislative director and budget committee associate staff for former Republican Congressman Bill Thomas.

Ron Platt, head of the firm's Federal Government Relations Section, said Winters' background fits in perfectly with the firm's existing tax and government relations practices. 

"Bob is held in the highest regard in Washington for his work on Ways and Means. We believe that he will not only be able to provide our clients with technical and sophisticated legal advice on tax issues, but he will also be a tremendously successful tax policy advocate," said Platt.

Winters indicated that his interest in Buchanan stemmed from his knowledge and familiarity with members of the firm.

"Buchanan has assembled a team that works together to provide clients with quality government relations and legal advice," said Winters. "This is precisely what I was looking for in choosing my next career move. I want to be part of an operation that has sharp, capable people, and Buchanan unquestionably has the quality of personnel and practice integrity that I was seeking."

Buchanan's federal government relations practice was noted recently by Influence/Legal Times as the 16th ranked law firm in terms of lobbying revenue for 2006.

About Robert Winters

Robert Stage Winters has been a key drafter, developer and participator in federal tax legislation since beginning his career as legislative director and house budget committee associate staff member in 1987. From 2001 through 2006, Winters served as chief tax counsel, special counsel and director of committee tax staff for the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee.

In addition to preparing materials for submission to the House Budget Committee on revenue needs for the federal budget, Winters coordinated and developed all full committee and subcommittee tax-related hearings including those on presidential budget submissions, tax-exempt bonds, Health Savings Account reforms, pension reform issues, tax reform and domestic investment, international taxation and patenting of tax strategies. He also coordinated and participated in the development of a number of tax relief bills including:

• Pension Protection Act of 2006
• Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005
• Energy Policy Act of 2005
• Working Families Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2004
• American Jobs Creation Act of 2004
• Jobs and Growth Tax Reconciliation Act of 2003

Winters has also been responsible for budget, trade, tax, agriculture and other legislative areas within the jurisdiction of House Ways and Means, Agriculture, Armed Services, Resources and Budget Committees. He received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, and earned his M.B.A. in international business from George Washington University. He also holds a B.A. in political science from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.