It's rainy in Seattle Seattle. This firm, however, has been around for far longer than Microsoft. In fact, Preston Gates can trace its family tree back to 1883, when a 25-year old Harold Preston, fresh from the cornfields of Iowa, arrived in Seattle to hang out his shingle. In 2000, the firm counts 350 lawyers practicing in throughout five states, Washington, DC and Hong Kong.
Municipal finance is a particular strength.
While the group pulls in plentiful fees, the PR hasn't always been terrific. In fact, the firm drew scathing criticism for its lobbying on behalf of The Northern Marianas Islands, a South Pacific U.S. territory with no member in congress. Hired to fight proposals in Congress to extend U.S. minimum wage and immigration laws to the territory, the firm took its share of heat.