WASHINGTON -- Former Georgia Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss is launching his post-Senate career at DLA Piper law firm, based primarily in Atlanta but with a worldwide reach given his global intelligence contacts.
Although DLA Piper employs lobbyists, Chambliss said he will not lobby -- even after the two-year cooling off period.
Chambliss, in a phone interview Wednesday evening, called it a "very, very difficult decision" to not choose one of the main Atlanta firms, but DLA Piper offered him bigger reach.
"I'm not going to lobby. That's part of my deal. I'm not a lobbyist. I'm on the legal side of the firm."
Chambliss also said he will be doing "some other corporate stuff" -- likely joining a board or two -- and joining a type of advisory board for the U.S. intelligence community. In addition, he will be lecturing at the University of Georgia.
Senators often enjoy lucrative careers after they leave office, and Chambliss left the Senate with high-value defense and intelligence ties forged over decades. He also departed as one of the "poorest" senators (a relative term given their wealth as compared to the rest of the country) with assets between $90,000 and $315,000, according to financial disclosures that list a range of values.
Before he was elected to the U.S. House in 1994, Chambliss was an agriculture lawyer in Moultrie.
A forthcoming press release from DLA Piper states that Chambliss "will counsel clients on a wide range of issues at the intersection of law, policy and business."
The release attributes the following quote to Roger Meltzer, global co-chair and co-chair (Americas) of DLA Piper:
"Senator Chambliss is deeply respected in Washington and abroad and has extensive relationships among government and corporate leaders, which will be an asset in our continued work across disciplines and industries around the world. His insight and guidance will be of tremendous value to clients with pressing global interests before the new Congress and within the constantly changing regulatory and public policy environment."
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