AT&T Picks James Cicconi to Head Government Affairs
(July 28, 1998) AT&T has picked James Cicconi, of the Washington mega law firm of Akin Gump, to be Senior Vice President for Government Affairs and Federal Policy. Cicconi also served as a senior White House aide in the Reagan and Bush administrations.
According to an AT&T press release, Cicconi "will be in charge of both developing AT&T's public policy positions as well as advocating them to all elements of the federal government and to foreign governments."
Mr. Cicconi is a Texan with close ties to James Baker and George Bush.
Cicconi received a BA from the University of Texas at Austin in 1974, and a JD from the University of Texas School of Law in 1977. He worked as Issues Director for James Baker's unsuccessful campaign for Texas Attorney General, 1977-78. He served as Administrative Assistant to the Governor of Texas, 1979-80. He also was General Counsel to the Texas Secretary of State, 1980-81.
He worked in the Reagan White House from 1981 through 1985, where he worked as Special Assistant to the President and Special Assistant to Chief of Staff James Baker. He handled policy and administrative matters.
In 1985 he joined the law firm of Akin Gump, Hauer and Feld, huge law firm, based in Texas, but with a large Washington DC office.
In 1987 and 1988, Cicconi assisted Vice President George Bush's presidential campaign on policy matters, coordinated preparation for the primary debates, and oversaw the drafting of the 1988 Republican Party platform. During the 1988 general election, he served as Issues Director for the vice presidential nominee, Senator Dan Quayle, and later worked on the transition staffs of President-elect Bush and Secretary of State designate James Baker.
He also worked for two years as Deputy Chief of Staff to George Bush. In 1991, he returned to Akin Gump. He served as the Senior Issues Advisor to President Bush's 1992 failed reelection campaign. He currently also serves as Vice President of the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation.
At Akin Gump, he was a law partner of Vernon Jordan, a leading Washington power broker and employment agent.
AT&T Press Release.
Re: James Cicconi.
Date: July 24, 1998.
Source: AT&T.
FOR RELEASE FRIDAY, JULY 24, 1998
WASHINGTON – AT&T today announced that James W. Cicconi, a partner in the Washington law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, has been named Senior Vice President for Government Affairs and Federal Policy.
Cicconi, 46, will be in charge of both developing AT&T's public policy positions as well as advocating them to all elements of the federal government and to foreign governments.
In addition to partnership in one of the nation's largest law firms, Cicconi has served as senior aide to two U.S. presidents. From 1989 to 1990, he served as deputy chief of staff to President George Bush, overseeing the flow of information to and from the Oval Office and coordinating the decision-making process within the White House. Previously, Cicconi served from 1981 to 1985 as special assistant to President Reagan and special assistant to White House Chief of Staff James A. Baker III.
Cicconi has served as a member of the Administrative Conference of the United States, a delegate to the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), and a member of the U.S. Reform Observation Panel for UNESCO. Currently, he serves as vice president of the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation, vice president of the Foundation for the National Archives, and as a director of the American Council on Germany. Cicconi also serves as a director of the El Paso Electric Company.
Cicconi graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1974 and earned a doctor of jurisprudence from the University of Texas School of Law in 1977. He is a member of the District of Columbia Bar and the State Bar of Texas.
Cicconi and his wife, Patricia, live in Alexandria, Virginia, with their three daughters.