26 years representing the state of Tennessee in the United States House of Representatives. Mr. Gordon served as Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology from 2007 to 2010. Mr. Gordon was also a senior member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and served on the House Committee on Financial Services and the House Committee on Rules, Transatlantic Parliamentary Dialogue, and NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

During his distinguished congressional career, Mr. Gordon developed a reputation as the undisputed bipartisan leader in innovation policy in the U.S. Congress. During his chairmanship the committee passed 151 bills and resolutions and all were bipartisan. In 2007, he championed the America COMPETES Act, signed into law by President Bush, which promotes federal investments in innovation in order to make the US more competitive. In 2010, as Chairman of the Science and Technology Committee, he engineered the passage of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act. Signed by President Obama, the act renewed the federal commitment to R&D and education, adding new provisions such as support for prize competitions.

Mr. Gordon played a key role in developing and passing the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act, which encouraged the federal government to promote the transfer of nanotechnology breakthroughs from laboratories to commercial products. He also promoted legislation that would implement a research program focusing on the environmental, health, and safety aspects of nanotechnology.

Throughout his political career, Mr. Gordon led the debate on a wide range of technology issues and formulated legislative initiatives on a number of other subjects, including health information technology, nuclear power, rare earth minerals, and synthetic biotechnology. Additionally, he led the effort to enact the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which increased mileage standards, improved vehicle technology, promoted alternative energy research, and improved energy efficiency in a variety of ways. Gordon was also a leading proponent of America's space program, and of improving the nation's performance in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. He is also a "Distinguished Fellow" on the Council on Competitiveness and appointed by President Obama to the Blue Ribbon Panel of the Antarctica and Southern Oceans. He is a member of the Brookings Leadership Advisory Board and is a project member for the American Academy of art and Science's New Models for U.S. Science and Technology Policy.

He is a Board Member of the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress and the Middle Tennessee State University Foundation, and he is on the Board of Counselors for the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress.

In 2012, Gordon received the Insignia of Officier de la Légion d'Honneur, the highest decoration that the Republic of France can confer on an individual. In 2012 Gordon also received an honorary Ph.D. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and in May of 2013 he received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater Middle Tennessee State University.

Active in Democratic politics early on, Gordon served as executive director of the Tennessee Democratic Party in 1979 and state party chairman from 1981 to 1983.

Prior to his public service, Mr. Gordon was a lawyer in private practice. He served in the United States Army Reserve from 1971 to 1972.

Mary Burke Baker is a government affairs counselor in the Washington, D.C. office where she leads the tax policy practice. Ms. Baker focuses on federal tax matters affecting businesses, including domestic and multinational corporations and all types of pass-through entities, and individuals. Her practice covers tax policy, tax reform, regulatory and other guidance, tax administration, and technical tax issues, with particular emphasis on corporate and pass-through issues, accounting methods, information reporting, Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) compliance, and emerging cryptocurrency issues. Since enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in December, 2017, Ms. Baker has particularly focused on the Opportunity Zone program and is a frequent speaker on the topic throughout the United States.

Ms. Baker advocates on behalf of clients and consults with and advises Congressional, U.S. Treasury, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) staff on numerous domestic and international tax and tax policy issues, including the new Opportunity Zone program, implementation of business and individual provisions in the TCJA, and emerging cryptocurrency tax compliance concerns. She stays abreast of current tax policy developments on Capitol Hill and around the world and keeps clients informed with timely, relevant, and informative updates, including political insights and analysis regarding the significance of these developments. She helps clients identify and assess risks and opportunities in the ever-changing legislative and regulatory environment and develops and executes strategies to achieve desired legislative and administrative outcomes. She offers technical analysis and drafts comment letters in response to regulatory projects, working groups, and other tax policy initiatives. During the multi-year tax reform debate, Ms. Baker leads the Cash to Accrual Coalition and the Like-kind Exchange Coalition. She serves on the steering committee of the LIFO Coalition. She assists individual taxpayers who are participating in the IRS Offshore Voluntary Compliance Program to comply with FBAR and Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) filing requirements.

Ms. Baker serves on the Board of Directors of the Real Tax Policy Group, which features biweekly sessions with top Administration and Congressional tax officials. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Time of Grace, an international media ministry.