Joe Keeley

Joe Keeley works with the firm’s intellectual property and government relations groups. Combining his knowledge of these two fields, Joe’s practice focuses on counseling clients regarding how public policy impacts them and drafting legislation and regulatory comments and proposals for clients. With Joe’s additional background in energy issues, he also coordinates Arent Fox's efforts in alternative energy. Joe’s practice includes representation of corporate, association, and non-profit clients before Congress, the Copyright Office, the Federal Trade Commission, Health and Human Services, the Department of Defense, and the Small Business Administration on issues ranging from orphan works and consumer product safety legislation to business opportunity regulations. Joe drafts regulatory filings, Congressional testimony, and legislative language to better position each of his clients and to produce results that benefit his clients. As part of his work as the leader of the alternative energy group at Arent Fox, Joe works with a wide variety of alternative energy clients including companies that produce cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel from algae and those that generate electricity from wind and hydropower sources. Prior to joining Arent Fox, Joe worked for fifteen years in public policy in Washington. Immediately prior to joining the firm, he served in the Office of General Counsel of the US Copyright Office and as Intellectual Property Counsel to the Subcommittee on Courts, Internet, and Intellectual Property Subcommittee of the US House Judiciary Committee. Joe started his public policy career working for US Senator Frank Murkowski of Alaska handling land and energy issues along with technology and telecommunications issues. While serving on Capitol Hill, Joe had primary responsibility for the advancement of a number of legislative initiatives, most of which have been enacted into law. These legislative initiatives included dedicated funding for intellectual property enforcement by the Department of Justice, content protection, trademark initiatives, spam legislation, and numerous copyright issues. Prior to his time on the House Judiciary Committee, Joe served as a public policy manager for the Business Software Alliance, where he managed BSA’s domestic and international copyright policy agenda, focusing on issues such as encryption reform, UCITA, and the USTR Special 301 submission by a group of affiliated, large copyright owners. He also represented BSA member companies at ICANN meetings. Joe is an active member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA).