TROY ? Automation Alley has hired a law firm with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates? father name on the shingle to handle its federal lobbying efforts in Washington D.C. Preston Gates & Ellis will replace DykemaGossett.
What?s not changing, however, is former DykemaGossett attorney Trish Markwood will continue to handle Automation Alley?s Washington D.C. efforts, but now for Preston Gates. DykemaGossett continues to work with Automation Alley on other legal matters.
?We were pleased with Dykema?s efforts,?? said Automation Alley Executive Director Ken Rogers. ?But our latest RFP resulted in a great proposal from Preston Gates, which included Trish Markwood at the Alley?s point person. She has worked effectively with us in the past.?
Rogers added that Preston Gates? proposal address Automation Alley?s needs and fit its direction and goals at the federal level ? primarily to continue to work effectively with the Southeast Michigan Congressional delegation to keep those lucrative federal grants coming to Automation Alley member companies.
Just last week, Automation Alley announced two federal grants totaling $1 million for Altair Engineering to build two advanced technology prototype buses and for the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences to create a Digital Manufacturing Network. Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-Michigan?s 9th District) helped land both.
The other big plus that Preston Gates brings to the party is the firm?s extensive experience in technology law and lobbying for big name technology companies like Microsoft. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates? father, William Gates, is the Gates in the Preston Gates firm name. The senior Gates retired from the Seattle-based law firm and now runs the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Rogers said that depth of technology experience will help Automation Alley in its drive to get mentioned in the same breath as Silicon Valley in California and Route 128 in Massachusetts when national and international technology folks talk high-tech centers.
