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 Bell Vick and Jacob Baggett 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 Bell Vick 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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Worked with the U.S. subsidiary of a supplier of nuclear analysis software to successfully oppose attempts to limit the disposal efforts related to the bulk survey for release for materials
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Represented a major distiller of Tennessee whiskey to promote and successfully pass legislation that defines “Tennessee Whiskey” to the benefit of our client
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Lobbied for passage bills on behalf of the fundraising arm of a national children’s research hospital that would give our client more options for reserve calculations, maintenance of accounts and annual reporting
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Represented a private business that owns and operates fixed base operations at large airports nationally and in Tennessee
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Served as general counsel for a state-wide electric power trade association, including representation in several lawsuits and lobbying efforts
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Represent an international financial institution on various lobbying matters
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Drafted and successfully promoted passage of a bill re-writing the Tennessee Uniform Anatomical Gift Act
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Represented a state-wide association of major healthcare providers and a major hospital system in legislative matters
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Worked on behalf of a major computer company to introduce the concept of bringing successful entrepreneurs into state government
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Represented a post-secondary proprietary university and affiliated entities in connection to its relationships with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission regarding various rules, regulations and approvals
Professionals
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.