Government Advocacy & Public Policy
Government Advocacy & Public Policy
We serve as effective advocates of our clients' interests in matters where government and business intersect, including lobbying Tennessee's legislative and executive branches of government. The firm's attorneys and staff represent clients in their business relationships with the agencies of state government, from the General Assembly to the many executive branch departments, agencies, boards and commissions.
Our clients include Tennessee's internationally known distiller of Tennessee Whiskey, healthcare companies, insurers, banks and other financial institutions, utilities, energy sector and others. The firm also has been a leader in public policy issues such as tort reform.
The firm appears regularly in support of clients' interest in the state of Tennessee, including:
- State government purchasing and contracting
- State and federal political action committees and government ethics
- Ethics Commission and Registry of Election Finances on lobbyist and campaign issues
- Department of Economic and Community Development on business relocation and state and local tax incentives, abatements and tax increment financing
- Environmental regulators on enforcement, licensure and rule-making matters
- Department of Revenue on state and local tax disputes and assessment appeals
- Department of Financial Institutions on banking and other regulatory matters
- Department of Commerce and Insurance on insurance licensure and rate-setting matters
- Department of Commerce and Insurance on state securities topics
- Department of Health on licensure and regulatory matters
- Tennessee Occupational and Safety Administration and other labor and employment regulators
- Attorney General investigations and inquiries
- Public Utility Commission on telecommunications and other regulated matters
Erica Vick Penley, Mallorie Kerby and Ross Smith are registered lobbyists for the firm's clients in the state of Tennessee. A current list of the firm's lobbyist registrations can be found on the Tennessee Ethics Commission website. Brant Phillips and Erica Vick Penley are the co-authors of the Tennessee chapter of the Thomson/West Lobbying, PACs and Campaign Finance: 50 State Handbook. In 2015, the Government Advocacy & Public Policy practice was ranked one of the top in the state of Tennessee by the Southern Political Report Magazine.
We serve as effective advocates of our clients' interests in matters where government and business intersect, including lobbying Tennessee's legislative and executive branches of government. The firm's attorneys and staff represent clients in their business relationships with the agencies of state government, from the General Assembly to the many executive branch departments, agencies, boards and commissions.
Our clients include Tennessee's internationally known distiller of Tennessee Whiskey, healthcare companies, insurers, banks and other financial institutions, utilities, energy sector and others. The firm also has been a leader in public policy issues such as tort reform.
The firm appears regularly in support of clients' interest in the state of Tennessee, including:
- State government purchasing and contracting
- State and federal political action committees and government ethics
- Ethics Commission and Registry of Election Finances on lobbyist and campaign issues
- Department of Economic and Community Development on business relocation and state and local tax incentives, abatements and tax increment financing
- Environmental regulators on enforcement, licensure and rule-making matters
- Department of Revenue on state and local tax disputes and assessment appeals
- Department of Financial Institutions on banking and other regulatory matters
- Department of Commerce and Insurance on insurance licensure and rate-setting matters
- Department of Commerce and Insurance on state securities topics
- Department of Health on licensure and regulatory matters
- Tennessee Occupational and Safety Administration and other labor and employment regulators
- Attorney General investigations and inquiries
- Public Utility Commission on telecommunications and other regulated matters
Erica Vick Penley, Mallorie Kerby and Ross Smith are registered lobbyists for the firm's clients in the state of Tennessee. A current list of the firm's lobbyist registrations can be found on the Tennessee Ethics Commission website. Brant Phillips and Erica Vick Penley are the co-authors of the Tennessee chapter of the Thomson/West Lobbying, PACs and Campaign Finance: 50 State Handbook. In 2015, the Government Advocacy & Public Policy practice was ranked one of the top in the state of Tennessee by the Southern Political Report Magazine.
Experience
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On behalf of American Petroleum Institute, we drafted legislation and led the coalitional lobbying effort to ensure industrial energy infrastructure...
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In a heavily regulated industry, we represent Helena Agri-Enterprises, LLC in monitoring bills, establishing connections within the Department of Agriculture...
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We successfully obtained a premier resort-type classification for a family farm that needed licensing flexibility with the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage...
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We successfully passed legislation to eliminate a pre-licensing course of study mandate for Tennesseeans sitting for the insurance producer license...
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We have had a history of success representing clients with various tax issues before the General Assembly and Department of...
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We have represented the association of vaping/e-cigarette retail stores with such success that Tennessee has the least restrictive regulations and...
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We worked with the U.S. subsidiary of a supplier of nuclear analysis software and specialized services to the nuclear industry...
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We represented a major distiller of Tennessee whiskey to promote and successfully pass legislation that defines "Tennessee Whiskey" to the...
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We successfully lobbied for passage bills on behalf of the fundraising arm of a national children's research hospital that would...
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We have worked on behalf of a major computer company to introduce the concept of bringing successful entrepreneurs into state...
Experience
-
On behalf of American Petroleum Institute, we drafted legislation and led the coalitional lobbying effort to ensure industrial energy infrastructure...
-
In a heavily regulated industry, we represent Helena Agri-Enterprises, LLC in monitoring bills, establishing connections within the Department of Agriculture...
-
We successfully obtained a premier resort-type classification for a family farm that needed licensing flexibility with the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage...
-
We successfully passed legislation to eliminate a pre-licensing course of study mandate for Tennesseeans sitting for the insurance producer license...
-
We have had a history of success representing clients with various tax issues before the General Assembly and Department of...
-
We have represented the association of vaping/e-cigarette retail stores with such success that Tennessee has the least restrictive regulations and...
-
We worked with the U.S. subsidiary of a supplier of nuclear analysis software and specialized services to the nuclear industry...
-
We represented a major distiller of Tennessee whiskey to promote and successfully pass legislation that defines "Tennessee Whiskey" to the...
-
We successfully lobbied for passage bills on behalf of the fundraising arm of a national children's research hospital that would...
-
We have worked on behalf of a major computer company to introduce the concept of bringing successful entrepreneurs into state...
Notice
Visiting, or interacting with, this website does not constitute an attorney-client relationship. Although we are always interested in hearing from visitors to our website, we cannot accept representation on a new matter from either existing clients or new clients until we know that we do not have a conflict of interest that would prevent us from doing so. Therefore, please do not send us any information about any new matter that may involve a potential legal representation until we have confirmed that a conflict of interest does not exist and we have expressly agreed in writing to the representation. Until there is such an agreement, we will not be deemed to have given you any advice, any information you send may not be deemed privileged and confidential, and we may be able to represent adverse parties.
Notice
Visiting, or interacting with, this website does not constitute an attorney-client relationship. Although we are always interested in hearing from visitors to our website, we cannot accept representation on a new matter from either existing clients or new clients until we know that we do not have a conflict of interest that would prevent us from doing so. Therefore, please do not send us any information about any new matter that may involve a potential legal representation until we have confirmed that a conflict of interest does not exist and we have expressly agreed in writing to the representation. Until there is such an agreement, we will not be deemed to have given you any advice, any information you send may not be deemed privileged and confidential, and we may be able to represent adverse parties.
Notice
Visiting, or interacting with, this website does not constitute an attorney-client relationship. Although we are always interested in hearing from visitors to our website, we cannot accept representation on a new matter from either existing clients or new clients until we know that we do not have a conflict of interest that would prevent us from doing so. Therefore, please do not send us any information about any new matter that may involve a potential legal representation until we have confirmed that a conflict of interest does not exist and we have expressly agreed in writing to the representation. Until there is such an agreement, we will not be deemed to have given you any advice, any information you send may not be deemed privileged and confidential, and we may be able to represent adverse parties.
Professionals
Name | Phone | |
---|---|---|
Mallorie Kerby Senior Public Policy Attorney |
(615) 742-7877 | Mallorie.kerby@bassberry.com |
Erica Vick Penley Member |
(615) 742-7901 | epenley@bassberry.com |
Ross V. Smith Senior Public Policy Attorney |
(615) 742-7912 | Ross.Smith@bassberry.com |
Publications
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January 11, 2024 | Firm Publication
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August 30, 2023 | Firm Publication
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August 21, 2023 | Firm Publication
Past Events
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June 20, 2023 | Nashville, TennesseeLawyers' Association for Women
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June 21, 2022 | Nashville, TennesseeLawyers' Association for Women
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June 15, 2021 | Nashville, Tennessee
Media Mentions & Firm News
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December 12, 2023 | Firm News
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October 5, 2022 | Firm News, Law360, Nashville Post
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January 25, 2022 | Firm News
Publications
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January 11, 2024 | Firm Publication
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August 30, 2023 | Firm Publication
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August 21, 2023 | Firm Publication
Past Events
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June 20, 2023 | Nashville, TennesseeLawyers' Association for Women
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June 21, 2022 | Nashville, TennesseeLawyers' Association for Women
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June 15, 2021 | Nashville, Tennessee
Media Mentions & Firm News
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December 12, 2023 | Firm News
-
October 5, 2022 | Firm News, Law360, Nashville Post
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January 25, 2022 | Firm News
Contact
Notice
Visiting, or interacting with, this website does not constitute an attorney-client relationship. Although we are always interested in hearing from visitors to our website, we cannot accept representation on a new matter from either existing clients or new clients until we know that we do not have a conflict of interest that would prevent us from doing so. Therefore, please do not send us any information about any new matter that may involve a potential legal representation until we have confirmed that a conflict of interest does not exist and we have expressly agreed in writing to the representation. Until there is such an agreement, we will not be deemed to have given you any advice, any information you send may not be deemed privileged and confidential, and we may be able to represent adverse parties.