Corporate Social Responsibility and Congressional Oversight

Successful businesses, as well as large non-profits such as universities, increasingly seek ways to be responsible not only to their shareholders, but also to their stakeholders, employees, customers, local communities and the environment. Addressing these concerns and implementing effective programs is not only good business reputation management, but minimizes exposure to legal actions and investigations. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become good business practice and has legislative, regulatory, political and social implications in the US and abroad.

TLG has assisted and can assist corporations and other organizations to define issues related to stakeholders. We help develop and implement strategies to address corporate objectives in the US and select markets abroad. TLG also has well-positioned affiliates in critical emerging markets prepared to provide the same range of services offered by its US offices.

Our team brings a formidable array of expertise to our clients. Team members have served as corporate executives with companies like Phillip Morris, and Iridium. Others have worked in leadership positions within the last six presidential administrations; agencies such as the Commerce Department and National Security Council, and have long histories of counseling corporations and others on key CSR strategies. Others serve on non-profit boards working with diverse constituencies in the US and the developing world, and maintain credible networks in the NGO community - including environmental and consumer groups.

A related issue area stems from one of the traditional roles of Congress -- the oversight function. Congress seeks to insure that government agencies and government policies are working as intended, particularly with regard to the public behavior of corporations and other large private institutions. This oversight and investigations role has gradually grown over the years to include contentious examinations of corporate behavior and business practices. As the Congress continues to expand its activities in this area -- bolstered by the power of the subpoena -- many organizations will be called to navigate a process of intensive staff interviews, media scrutiny, Hill information requests and even sworn testimony before Congressional hearings. The Livingston Group’s team is prepared to shepherd our clients through this process, focusing on both issue and reputation management.

Bob Livingston is a former federal prosecutor. Our assigned Senior Counselors and other team members combine a range of talents: legal experience, public affairs expertise, television broadcasting backgrounds and senior leadership roles on the oversight and investigations subcommittees of the following key House committees: Armed Services, Government Reform and Energy and Commerce. Our specific services include strategic counsel, message development, political intelligence gathering and witness preparation.

Director: Honorable Dennis Hertel (D-MI) -- Former Chairman, Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee, House Committee on Armed Services. Democratic House Regional Whip.

TLG Team //

Honorable Lauri Fitz-Pegado -- Former Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General of the US and Foreign Commercial Service. Vice president of a global technology company. Director for Public Liaison of the first Clinton-Gore Inaugural and advisor to Chairman of Democratic National Committee, Ron Brown.

Honorable Bill Zeliff (R-NH) -- Former Chairman, Subcommittee on National Security, International Affairs and Criminal Justice - House Committee on Government Reform. Republican Deputy Whip and senior member of the House Transportation Committee.

Steve Bende -- Former Executive Secretary at the National Institute of Health’s AIDS Vaccine Research Committee and Special Advisor to NIH Director Dr. Anthony Fauci. Vice President of Scientific Affairs, Generic Pharmaceutical Association.

Carl Commenator -- Former Chief Counsel, House Committee on Veterans Affairs and Deputy Staff Director, House Armed Services Committee.

David Dumke -- As legislative director to Rep. John Dingell (D-Michigan), Dumke's congressional career included reviewing federal departments and agencies and coordinating with businesses and government agencies on environmental and economic development projects. Dumke also served as an advisor and strategist to a variety of businesses, business organizations, and NGO’s which operated in a wide range of fields – including commerce, trade, social development, and political activism.

Bill Crosby -- Former Chief Counsel to the House Rules Committee under Chairman Jerry Solomon. Expert on House committee and floor rules.

Roger France -- Former Chief of Staff Rep. Charles Taylor, House Committee on Appropriations. Manager of over a dozen successful congressional campaigns.

Duane Gibson -- Former Chief Counsel, Oversight and Investigations, Committee on Resources.

James D. Hensler -- Former Staff Director and Chief Counsel of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence as well as former Military Legislative Assistant to Alabama Senator Richard Shelby. He has significant experience with the authorization of sensitive intelligence programs and with defense appropriations issues. A former naval officer, Jim is a licensed attorney with current and active security clearances.

Peter Iovino -- Former Assistant Administrator for Legislative Affairs, Transportation Security Administration.

Bernie Robinson -- Former Chief of Staff, US Representative James McGovern (D-MA). Corporate affairs executive for Phillip Morris.

George Sigalos -- Comes to Livingston’s Corporate Social Responsibility and Oversight Practice Group after handling government affairs for a Top 5 US Defense Contractor and having represented over 500 small, medium, and large defense and other federal contractors at a prominent national trade association. Mr. Sigalos has extensive experience working with the congressional oversight committees related to defense and procurement in both the House and Senate.

Marjorie Strayer -- Former Chief of Staff, US Representative Heather Wilson (R-NM). Director of Incumbent Retention, National Republican Congressional Committee.

Sandra Taylor -- Former Senior Vice President of corporate social responsibility for Starbucks Coffee Company. Her responsibilities included strategic development and day-to-day direction of all corporate responsibility programs, community affairs, the Starbucks Foundation and support for disaster relief; along with development of responsible and sustainable standards for business practices and product procurement; management of programs to reduce the environmental impact of business operations; public policy and government relations; and the publication of the company's award-winning corporate responsibility annual report.