What You Need to Know
- Perez was labor secretary for nearly four years under President Barack Obama.
- He spent nearly a decade in the Justice Department.
- He will help clients with regulatory, policy and labor and employment issues at Venable.
Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Thomas Perez is joining Venable as a partner in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office.
Perez, who served as the labor secretary for nearly four years under President Barack Obama, beat now-Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison for the DNC post in 2017 and did not seek reelection going into 2021.
At Venable, Perez will help clients with regulatory, policy and labor and employment issues.
“Tom is extremely well respected nationwide for his deep knowledge and successful track record on public policy issues at every level of government,” said Venable chairman Stu Ingis.
Perez was also an assistant attorney general for civil rights during the Obama administration.
Perez spent nearly a decade in the Justice Department under multiple administrations—including as assistant attorney general for civil rights—before joining the Obama White House. Perez also served as the secretary of Maryland’s Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, and was the first Latino elected to serve on the county council in Montgomery County, Maryland, just north of Washington, D.C.