US law firm Dickstein Shapiro has lost 13 of its public policy  and law practice team to Greenberg Traurig including the chairman Andrew Zausner. The team joins Greenberg Traurig's governent law and policy policy group in Washington. The firm announced that Dennis Hastert would step into the breach to head up the practice alongside former Federal Election Commission chairman Scott Thomas. Mr Hastert is the longest-serving Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives. In a statement the firm said: 'We wish our former colleagues the best. Dickson Shapiro remains committed to providing the highest-calibre strategic advice and legislative counsel to our clients.'

Greenberg builds up political practice

Meanwhile Greenberg Traurig has been building up its public policy and political law practice, recruiting around 40 lawyers and lobbyists in Washington in the last year.