Drew Cantor, who joined Peck, Madigan, Jones & Stewart in January 2008, has more than 15 years of government and public affairs experience.  He served on the senior staff of the Senate Republican Conference for more than four years, serving two Conference Chairs – former Senators Connie Mack (R-FL) and Rick Santorum (R-PA).  Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Cantor was Vice President and Director of Federal Affairs for the American Insurance Association (AIA).  In that capacity, he worked with AIA’s top management and member companies on many priority issues, including Optional Federal Charter legislation, Terrorism Risk Insurance legislation and matters pertaining to credit-based insurance scoring.   

Since joining the firm, Mr. Cantor has focused primarily on the firm’s Financial Services and Capital Markets practice, serving as its Deputy Chairman. He has represented various and diverse financial services entities, including Harley-Davidson Financial Services, Deutsche Bank, USAA and Allstate. During the 18 month process of hearings, mark-ups, House and Senate floor action and Conference Committee proceedings leading up to the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in July 2010, Mr. Cantor advocated clients’ positions before numerous congressional committees.  

During his tenure at the Senate Republican Conference, Mr. Cantor worked with his leadership staff colleagues to develop, implement and manage communications around the Senate Republican issue agenda.  He also ran weekly meetings with all Senate Republican communications directors to present the Senate Republican strategy and message of the week. Mr. Cantor regularly interacted with Republican Senators on the Senate floor, during Conference meetings and at retreats. As a result, he has extensive relationships with both Members and staff in the United States Senate, which he has maintained and strengthened in the years following his Senate service.  

Mr. Cantor also has strong relationships in the U.S. House of Representatives both from his experience on Capitol Hill and through his work in the private sector. In particular, Mr. Cantor has close ties with the House Republican Leadership and with Republican members of the House Financial Services Committee. Since 2003, he has worked closely with both the Financial Services Committee leadership on the Republican side as well as with virtually every Republican member of the Committee on a variety of issues including derivatives policy, insurance regulatory modernization and ILC policy.  

Mr. Cantor has also worked on a number of campaigns including a position with the Vice Presidential nominee’s press operation at the 1996 Republican National Convention and positions on the re-elect campaigns for former Rep. Sue Kelly (R-NY), Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) and former Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA).