By Gina Passarella
Of the Legal Staff
The former general counsel to Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has joined Ballard Spahr's Phoenix office.
Joseph Kanefield will practice in the firm's government relations, regulatory affairs and contracting group. He is joining the firm as a partner.
As general counsel, he has advised Brewer on litigation involving the state budget, civil rights, immigration, gaming and health care issues. Before joining the governor's office, Kanefield served in the Arizona secretary of state's office as state election director and in-house counsel. He also was an assistant attorney general and an attorney with the Arizona Department of Revenue.
"Joe has a sterling reputation in Arizona and a set of skills developed over many years at the highest levels of state government," Ballard Spahr Chairman Arthur Makadon said in a statement. "He will be a terrific asset to our practice and for our clients. We are absolutely delighted to have him as part of the firm, our government relations group, and our Phoenix office."
At Ballard Spahr, Kanefield will concentrate his practice on government relations, civil and appellate litigation, public-private partnerships, administrative law, state and local tax matters, gaming, and election and campaign-finance law.
"This is a great opportunity to use my experience in the public sector to assist private-sector clients," Kanefield said in a statement.
Ballard Spahr has been focusing much of its growth in its western offices, bringing on several new laterals and adding a new San Diego office in recent months.
Kanefield's addition also follows the addition of another former government official to the firm -- former Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell. As will Kanefield, Rendell also spends a good portion of his time on public-private partnerships.
Gina Passarella is the senior reporter for The Legal. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @GPassarellaTLI.
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