For the last 25 years, Jay Rosenblum's legal and lobbying career has taken him from the White House to a Big Four accounting firm to one of the largest mutual life insurance companies in the country. But never to a law firm—until now.

Rosenblum has joined Venable as counsel in its legislative and government affairs practice in Washington, D.C. He arrives from Guardian Life Insurance Co., where he was a senior vice president for governmental affairs and then for human resources.

Rosenblum said he was attracted by Venable's combination of deep subject-matter knowledge and technical expertise.

“I chose Venable because this is where I want to be and where I think I want to begin [my next] chapter,” he said. He didn't identify any other firms he may have considered.

Rosenblum started as a law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in the 1990s before a stint in President Clinton's White House advising the associate counsel to the president whet his appetite for politics. He then did in-house corporate lobbying work, including at Ernst & Young for 12 years, where he was director of legislative and regulatory policy at the time of his departure. He has also been senior vice president of government affairs and associate general counsel at The Hartford and executive director of public policy and government affairs at Grant Thornton.

“Jay is a government affairs executive with an exceptional record of government advocacy, leadership, and transformation at large, highly regulated companies,” said former Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Arkansas, co-chair of Venable's legislative and government affairs practice, in a statement. “We are excited to have him join our team.”

At Ernst & Young, Rosenblum represented the accounting firm's interests in the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and in multiple congressional hearings and investigations. In heading to Venable, Rosenblum will continue to face financial services regulatory challenges for the firm.

Rosenblum said he would register as a lobbyist when warranted.