Eric Tanenblatt, chair of US Public Policy for Dentons
Eric Tanenblatt, a veteran political operative and government official, took over the U.S. public policy practice at Dentons, the world’s largest law firm, last month. Despite his years in politics, his current pet project has little to do with elections. Among other things, he wants to advocate for public policy that will make autonomous vehicles – also called self-driving cars – a reality.
Tanenblatt, who isn’t a lawyer, said it is becoming more common for non-lawyer professionals to take leading roles in law firms, especially when their part of the firm isn’t focused on litigation. And litigation isn’t the specialty of his part of the practice.
Instead, Tanenblatt will work with a team spread across offices in seven states. He can work with clients on everything from negotiating incentives for a large economic development to zoning issues. The practice also has an arm that works on strategic communications for public affairs. In the end, it comes down to the client.
“Our goal is to provide our clients with solutions to their problems,” he said.
Tanenblatt broke into politics working on the 1988 presidential campaign for George H.W. Bush, followed by stints in government and in other elections. He last served in government as chief of staff for former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, before he joined Long, Aldridge & Norman. Through a couple of mergers, that firm eventually became part of Dentons a few years ago.
He notes that when he began, Georgia politics were dominated by Democrats, and Republicans were fighting just to get a toehold. Now, the situation is reversed. Still, he sees many similarities in how both parties behave when they are in charge.
“I think I have a unique historical perspective on the state,” he said.
All of his work on elections and in government was for Republicans, but his job does not mean pushing the Republican agenda. The firm has leaders from both parties as part of its public policy practice, and it works with leaders of both parties in advancing a client’s agenda.
“We encourage people to be engaged,” he said. “One of our hallmarks is we are bi-partisan, so the outcome of an election does not impact us much. We operate at the intersection of business and government and politics.”
Political differences don’t lead to office arguments, and clients usually see a united front.
“We find ourselves providing the same advice, whether we are Democrats or Republicans,” he said.
Tanenblatt gets very excited when asked to provide an example of the type of non-partisan issue he and his team will advocate. When self-driving cars comes up for discussion, he is at his happiest. He sees the cars as solutions to traffic, possibly pollution, and isolation of the poor and older adults. And, he insists, it is coming.
“It is going to be a game-changer,” he said.
A typical car, he said, sits parked up to 95 percent of the time. A fleet of self-driving cars might be on the move 95 percent of the time. A more efficient use of both cars and land – parking lots would become almost obsolete – would be the result.
He said that type of engagement and enthusiasm, on many issues from around the world, is what he is looking for from his team at Dentons.
