Senator Mel Martinez (R) of Florida, who resigned his seat last month, has joined DLA Piper as a partner. Martinez, who is the first Cuban-American elected to the Senate and has also served as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, will be banned from lobbying for two years under federal rules for lobbyists. Two other former senators, George Mitchell (D) and Dick Armey (R) have left DLA Piper recently.

DLA Piper is one of the largest law firms in the world. It is a legal services organization whose members and affiliates are separate and distinct legal entities. The organization boasts more than 3,500 lawyers in 29 countries and 65 offices.