Ken Nahigian, General Counsel
Ken Nahigian offers clients of Nahigian Strategies more than 11 years of legislative policy, legal, and communications experience. As head of the firm’s Legislative and Government Affairs practice, Ken provides an expertise on a wide range of issues pertaining to federal trade, consumer privacy and protection, transportation security, automotive safety, performance-enhancing drugs in professional and amateur sports, and product safety. Ken has a reputation as a fair, bipartisan, subject-matter expert, with a strong ability to understand and communicate complex issues in high-pressure environments.
Before joining the firm, Ken served the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation for seven years (2000-2007), most recently as Deputy Staff Director and Chief Counsel to the Committee under Vice Chairman Ted Stevens (R-AK). While responsible for the legal and procedural management of the Committee, Ken developed a strong policy background leading efforts on initiatives such as the SAFE Ports Act, the Identity Theft Prevention Act of 2005 and 2007, the Implementing the Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act, and the Ten-In-Ten Fuel Economy Act of 2007.
Prior to accepting an invitation from Senator Stevens to serve as a senior advisor, Ken served as Senior Counsel to former Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ). During his tenure with Chairman McCain, Ken managed major Committee issues such as the Ford/Firestone tire recall investigation and legislation, corporate governance reforms in the wake of Enron, U.S. Olympic Committee governance reform, the Telemarketing “Do-Not-Call” registry, and the professional and amateur sports doping investigations. His principal oversight responsibilities were of the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Over the years, Ken has spoken before industry conferences on a plethora of subjects, including consumer data security and privacy, professional sports reform, performance-enhancing drugs, and transportation security, and he developed strong communications and media relations skills by dealing regularly with the national media.
Before working on Capitol Hill, Ken worked as an attorney in the Issues and Appeals Division of the law firm Jones Day, and subsequently as Senior Law Clerk to the Honorable Donald Ivers on the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
Ken is a native of Cleveland, Ohio. He is married and has two children. Ken is a graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and Capital Law School in Columbus, Ohio.