Charles L Merin

Mr. Merin serves as Managing Director of BKSH & Associates, and was a founding partner of one of the two firms which merged in 1995 to create the current firm. He possesses more than 38 years of Washington experience, beginning with service as a congressional staffer in 1969. A campaign veteran, he began his career as a lobbyist in 1976. Mr. Merin is an expert in building legislative coalitions and helping clients forge effective, long-term relationships on Capitol Hill. He is perhaps best known for his close affiliation with the Blue Dog Coalition, an alliance of more than 40 pro-business, conservative House Democrats whose votes have become coveted. National Journal recently recognized him as one of Washington’s leading Democratic lobbyists, in part a reflection of his closeness to this key bloc of Democratic House votes. Prior to joining the firm in 1985, Mr. Merin represented labor, senior citizen and business trade association interests. During the last two years of the Carter administration, he was principal liaison between the public and private sectors on a Social Security study conducted under Congressional mandate by the then-Department of Health, Education and Welfare.