Shughart Thomson & Kilroy Adds Six-Term Congressman to Public Policy Practice

Kansas City, Mo. (January 27, 2009) – Shughart Thomson & Kilroy, P.C. and Polsinelli Shalton Flanigan Suelthaus PC and are pleased to announce the addition of former Rep. Kenny Hulshof (R-MO) as shareholder in the Public Policy practice group. Hulshof brings a wealth of public policy, health care, taxation and litigation experience to his new position. Most recently, he was the Republican nominee in the Missouri Governor’s race. 

Hulshof represented Missouri’s Ninth District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1997 until January 2009. He served on the Ways and Means Committee during his entire 12-year congressional career and was a member of the Health and Trade subcommittees. He also served with distinction on the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct and the Budget Committee.

“We are delighted to welcome Kenny to our bipartisan roster of skilled public policy attorneys,” said W. Russell Welsh, Polsinelli’s chairman and chief executive officer. “His expertise in a broad range of federal and state policy issues will be invaluable to our clients.”

"Kenny served in Congress for six terms with distinction and great integrity," added W. Terrence Kilroy, Shareholder and Governmental Affairs Liaison at Shughart Thomson & Kilroy. "He is highly regarded by congressmen and senators of both parties, and we are thrilled to have that kind of person join our already outstanding team in Washington."

Hulshof will officially join the Polsinelli Shughart PC on February 1, 2009, when the merger between Polsinelli and Shughart Thomson & Kilroy is completed. He will maintain offices in both Missouri and in Washington, D.C.

“Both the Polsinelli and Shughart law firms are highly respected throughout the United States,” said Hulshof. “I am energized by the prospect of joining the team at this pivotal time in the firm’s history, and together with my new colleagues in the Public Policy Group, bringing our clients unparalleled legal expertise at the state and federal level.”

Hulshof becomes the second shareholder with a distinguished congressional career to join the firm. Former Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and a 13 term Member of the House of Representatives, Martin Frost joined Polsinelli in 2006 and is also a member of the firm’s Public Policy Group in Washington, D.C. practice.

Polsinelli’s Public Policy practice group provides expertise in federal and state taxation, appropriations, advertising regulation, Food and Drug Administration regulation, First Amendment and commercial speech issues, telecommunications, the Internet, privacy, intellectual property, health care, budget and biometric technology.

While serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, Hulshof championed tax relief for individuals and businesses and was instrumental in passage of the 2001 and 2003 economic stimulus bills signed by President Bush. He received national recognition from disability advocacy groups for his work on the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act that helps individuals with disabilities lead independent, productive lives.

Prior to his congressional career, Hulshof served as a special prosecutor in the Office of Missouri Attorney General. He also held previous positions as assistant public defender and assistant prosecuting attorney for Cape Girardeau County, Missouri. Certified as a Specialist Instructor in Criminal Law, Hulshof frequently lectured at law enforcement conferences and seminars in the Midwest.

Hulshof is a past recipient of the prestigious Lon O. Hocker award, presented to young Missouri lawyers who have demonstrated unusual proficiency in the art of trial advocacy. In 2001 he was awarded the Distinguished Non-Alumnus Award from the University of Missouri School of Law to honor his outstanding achievement in the legal field. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi Law School and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Author: W. Terrance (Terry) Kilroy
Firm: Polsinelli Shughart PC

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