Ehrlich joins law firm with gambling ties

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Former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. will head the new Maryland office of a North Carolina-based law firm with a history of lobbying in favor of gambling legislation.

Mr. Ehrlich, a Republican who has kept a low profile since an unsuccessful bid for re-election last fall, will work for Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice PLLC, one of North Carolina's largest law firms.

According to its Web site, the firm has been "heavily involved in gaming-law issues for the past 15 years," representing a American Indian casino and the contractor for the video lottery in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Mr. Ehrlich, a proponent of slot-machine legislation during his term, dismissed the notion that the move is an attempt to remain a key player in the slots debate.

" really wasn't a focal point at all," he said yesterday. "It may have been mentioned in passing, but it certainly wasn't a factor . Business development will clearly be my focus in the next few years."

Mr. Ehrlich said he decided on joining Womble Carlyle from among a number of suitors.

"I wanted to go with a successful firm, one that was entrepreneurial," Mr. Ehrlich said. "And I wanted to bring a number of members of my senior staff with me."

Mr. Ehrlich, 49, earned a law degree in 1982 from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C.

He will head up the company's new office, temporarily located near Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. The branch will move to a permanent location within the next two months.

The firm has 500 lawyers and 700 staff members in 11 offices, including Tysons Corner and the District.