Mr. Hilleary joined Sonnenschein’s Public Law & Policy Strategies Practice Group after serving eight years in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he held seats on the Armed Services, Budget, Education and the Workforce, Science and Small Business Committees. While in Congress he also served six years as a Deputy Whip for Majority Whips Tom DeLay (R-TX) and Roy Blunt (R-MO). Mr. Hilleary's legislative initiatives drew on his experience as a textile manufacturing executive and a military officer, and were reflective of his passion for national security issues, support for veterans, and education reform. In 1999, believing the Norwood-Dingell Patient Bill of Rights to be cost-prohibitive to business, he authored his own version of the bill which moved the debate in a pro-business direction. He also authored a portion of H.R.1, President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" legislation in 2001.
Mr. Hilleary specializes in federal government legislative and administrative public policy matters. With an exceptional knowledge and understanding of the federal legislative process and the role political dynamics play in shaping public policy outcomes, he provides strategic advice and guidance to a broad spectrum of clients which directly leads to successful conclusions on issues stemming from their nexus with the federal government
He represents corporations, trade associations and nonprofit organizations, often combining his expertise with colleagues from throughout Sonnenschein’s impressive array of practice group disciplines, in a seamlessly collaborative focus to provide the most advantageous combination of legal and public policy expertise to be found in Washington, DC, resulting in maximum value to the client. This approach has recently resulted in successful representations of a healthcare trade association with an interest in Veterans Administration policy and a private sector contractor with the Department of Homeland Security.