Hunter Bates > Akin > Washington DC, United States > Lawyer Profile

Hunter Bates

+1 202.887.4147 hbates@akingump.com

Work Department

Partner; Lobbying & Public Policy

Position

Hunter Bates is a co-leader of Akin’s top-rated lobbying and public policy practice, representing clients across myriad issues, including tax, health, transportation, technology and sports law. He combines his knowledge of policy, process and key players to provide strategic advice to, and advocacy on behalf of, a wide range of clients, including Fortune 100 companies, trade associations and nonprofit organizations. Hunter served as legal counsel and then chief of staff for the current U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and has been consistently ranked as a “Top Lobbyist” by The Hill newspaper. He earned his law degree from Harvard University and clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit for the Honorable Eugene E. Siler, Jr. He currently serves as a member of the board of directors for the Institute for Free Speech.

To learn more about Hunter, please visit his profile here: https://www.akingump.com/en/lawyers-advisors/hunter-bates.html

Career

Chief of staff to current Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, 2000 to 2002.

Chief counsel, U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, 1999-2000

Legal counsel, Office of Sen. Mitch McConnell, 1997-1999

Campaign Manager, McConnell Senate Committee, 2002.

Judicial Clerk, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Memberships

District of Columbia Bar Association; Kentucky Bar Association

Member, board of directors, Institute for Free Speech.

Education

J.D., Harvard Law School, 1994

B.A., Eastern Kentucky University, magna cum laude, 1989