Wheelhouse Partners was founded on the idea that the fast-changing world of U.S. business today demands a new breed of government affairs firm. Organizations need a team of professionals who understand the dramatic, technological change impacting American industry today—one that can help them navigate Washington successfully in order to solve the problems and pursue the opportunities created as a result. We at Wheelhouse foresaw these transformational shifts in the economy well ahead of the rest, and designed a government affairs firm to adapt effectively to our clients’ emerging needs.
Wheelhouse Partners is different from most large Washington government affairs firms that are often too bureaucratic and conventional-minded to provide clients with the innovative thinking and in-depth experience they deserve. Unlike many traditional lobbying firms that rely on younger associates to service clients, our team consists of seasoned practitioners who directly represent their clients, rather than delegate such work to those more junior.
As with most U.S. businesses today, our consulting team is lean-and-mean. Our firm combines a group of best-in-class affiliated consultants with long-tested skills in a variety of practice areas, along with strong capabilities in diverse service offerings. As a result, our clients receive the wisdom of veteran government affairs specialists as well as the fresh, creative thinking that comes with constant collaboration among smart, forward-thinking professionals.
Wheelhouse Partners is versatile and attuned to the demands that confront businesses today. We pair accomplished government affairs and business strategy consultants with your organization – ones whose skills and expertise match your needs. We pride ourselves on anticipating industry changes and convergences, and keeping our clients ahead of the curve and prepared with leading-edge solutions to resolve their concerns and take advantage of opportunities in Washington.
Like any tested crew, we constantly keep our eyes on the horizon so that we know what the future will bring, both its potential challenges and its possibilities. That’s what makes us different from our competitors and better suited to meet the needs of businesses and organizations today.
Lou Lehrman
Lou Lehrman is the founder and President of Wheelhouse Partners. He has over twenty-five years of experience in law, government and public affairs. Prior to creating Wheelhouse Partners, Lou led and managed a communications, information technology and Internet services and applications practice at Fabiani & Company, representing companies, non-profits and other trade organizations in these sectors.
Before joining Fabiani & Company, Lou was a Vice President at Dutko Worldwide where he worked for over 11 years representing a broad range of clients in telecommunications, technology, financial services, international trade and consumer products.
His clients in the telecom and tech sectors have included providers of wireline, wireless and VoIP telephony, satellite communications, wireless backhaul, as well as private and public Internet backbone providers, e-commerce businesses, telecom equipment manufacturers , software makers, data security solution companies, IT customer care managers, and Internet service and application companies.
His financial services clients have included prominent domestic and foreign financial institutions, among them: one of Europe’s most distinguished banks, a preeminent global asset manager, the leading discount brokerage house in the U.S., a pioneering electronic stock exchange, and respected U.S. economist. He has also handled international trade matters for domestic and foreign pharmaceutical and chemical companies.
Prior to joining Dutko, Lou worked from 1991-1994 on Capitol Hill for Rep. Alex McMillan (R-NC) as his legislative counsel to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, specifically on its then Telecommunications and Finance Subcommittee and its Commerce Consumer Protection and Competitiveness Subcommittee. Lou later joined Rep. McMillan and others in founding a boutique merchant banking-government consulting practice representing and financing small emerging companies in the telecom, health care and environmental services industries.
Lou began his professional career in 1987 as a corporate and securities lawyer in New York City with the law firm of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan. He has an undergraduate degree in political science from Duke University and a J.D. from Vanderbilt School of Law.