[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12599-12600]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      ARENT FOX LEGEND CELEBRATES A HALF-CENTURY OF PRACTICING LAW

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 26, 2006

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and celebrate the 
career and good works of my friend, David Osnos, who will celebrate 50 
years of practicing law with Arent Fox PLLC on July 9. I was privileged 
to be his law partner when I worked at the firm of Arent Fox before 
becoming a Member of Congress.
  David Osnos has been at the center of many of the major decisions 
regarding the growth and development of our Nation's Capital over the 
last 50 years. His advice has been sought out by the movers and shakers 
of the Washington business world.
  David Osnos met Abe Pollin in 1958 and became his general counsel. 
The two often refer to each other as ``brothers.'' Together, they 
teamed up to change the face of Washington by acquiring sports teams, 
building the Verizon Center, and working on many other projects. Osnos 
also serves as the chief lawyer to another great Washington success 
story--Jim Clark of the Clark Construction Group.
  Pollin and Clark are just a few examples of those who have worked 
with Osnos to transform Washington, D.C., from simply a government town 
into a vibrant cultural and business center. His many good works and 
his contributions to the development of this great city have made him a 
legend in the Washington, D.C., legal and business community.
  A true Arent Fox ``lifer,'' Osnos joined the firm in 1956 upon 
graduating from Harvard Law School. He has been the heart and soul of 
the firm for decades, and his work in Washington has mirrored the 
growth and development of this great city--and Arent Fox's commitment 
to the city.
  Osnos served as chairman of the firm's executive committee for 20 
years. In that capacity, he participated in much of the development and 
growth of downtown D.C. and ensured that the law firm's participation 
in the civic life of the city was unparalleled. Since joining Arent Fox 
as its seventh lawyer a half-century ago, Osnos has contributed to the 
growth of the now 265-attorney firm.

[[Page 12600]]

  Always a strong supporter of nonprofit community organizations and 
devoted to ensuring that Arent Fox was a leading provider of pro bono 
services, Osnos created a culture of excellence in both ``lawyering'' 
and community service. He has continued to play that role since 
stepping down as chairman of the firm. Today he is revered as one of 
Arent Fox's senior statesman.
  Mr. Speaker, David Osnos has touched our community with his legal 
brilliance, his high ethical standards and integrity, and his kind, 
gentle nature, which has enabled him to be effective as a force for 
change and action. He has contributed immensely to the legal community, 
to the District of Columbia, and to our civic life. I am honored to be 
his friend and to offer him my warmest congratulations on this 
wonderful milestone in his life, the life of one of D.C.'s finest law 
firms, and the life of our community.

                          ____________________