20+ years
Michael started working in politics as a 17-year-old staffer in 1987 race for Governor. Since then, he has worked on campaigns in almost every role, spent time working on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC and did a short stint in state government for then Treasurer Tate Reeves. He entered the lobbying profession in 2004 at Baker Donelson before taking a ten-year detour working as a public finance banker at Bear Stearns and Raymond James. Partnering with Austin at the Clearwater Group in 2017, he returned to lobbying to get back to doing what he enjoys most, shaping public policy through the political, legislative and administrative processes.
Michael leads the firm's executive branch lobbying practice area with an emphasis on regulatory and procurement efforts. He is also deeply involved in strategic development for the firm's legislative practice area and political practice area.
919-821-6756
Post Office Box 2611, Raleigh, NC, 27602,
Dana Simpson co-chairs the Government Relations practice at Smith Anderson and regularly represents clients before the North Carolina General Assembly and with State agencies.
Dana advises clients regarding legislative and regulatory advocacy, public relations, issues management, economic development initiatives, ethics, and campaign finance law compliance. Dana has been consistently rated one of the most influential lobbyists in North Carolina by both the nonpartisan N.C. Center for Public Policy Research and The North State Journal.
Prior to law school, Dana served as Special Assistant for Communications and Policy to the Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives.
Dana also has experience representing clients on rule-making and administrative law matters. He served as a member of the North Carolina Rules Review Commission from 2003-2006.
5) BDO Government Services, LLC
6) Bellsouth Telecommunications, LLC d/b/a AT&,T North Carolina
8) Blue Ridge Atlantic Development, LLC, d/b/a Blue Ridge Cascade
9) Community Care of North Carolina, Inc.
10) Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
11) DaVita, Inc.
13) Duke Energy Business Services LLC
14) Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Inc.
15) First Flight Venture Center, Inc.
16) FirstHealth of the Carolinas, Inc.
19) Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA
20) Granville County
22) ID.me, Inc.
24) Investors Title Insurance Company
25) Knoa Pharma LLC
26) Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.
27) Massage Envy -- North Carolina Region Co-op
28) Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company
29) NC Museum of Art Foundation
30) North Carolina Biotechnology Center
31) North Carolina Dental Society
32) North Carolina Oncology Association
33) North Carolina Railroad Company
34) North Carolina Society of Anesthesiologists
35) North Carolina Travel and Tourism Coalition
37) SailPoint Technologies, Inc.
38) SCI North Carolina Funeral Services, Inc.
39) ServiceNow, Inc.
40) South Granville Water and Sewer Authority
41) Upper Neuse River Basin Assoc., Inc.
42) VMware LLC and its Affiliates
20+ years
"North Carolina's Top Lobbyists" - North State Journal (2020)
Best Lawyers Government Relations Practice (2009-2022)
Business North Carolina Legal Elite
Triangle Business Journal "40 Under 40 Leadership Award (2012)
615-627-6579
1230 2nd Ave S, Nashville, TN, 37210,
3) Affordable Equity Partners, Inc.
4) American Beverage Association
5) American Federation for Children
8) BDO Government Services, LLC
10) BLVD Capital
11) Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation
13) Cavnue LLC
16) Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority
18) City of East Ridge, Tennessee
19) CodeCrew
20) Cummins Inc
21) East Tennessee Children's Hospital
22) Eric A. Gang & Associates, P.A.
24) Excellence in Education National, Inc. d/b/a Excellence in Education in Action
25) Giarratana, LLC
29) HORNE LLP
31) JPMorgan Chase Holdings, LLC
33) Kira Learning
36) Metropolitan Government of Nashville/ Davidson County
39) NASHVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
40) Nashville Teacher Residency
42) National Mentor Holdings, LLC
45) Palantir Technologies Inc.
46) PMI Global Services Inc., Swedish Match North America LLC, and Affiliates
47) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates
49) Prisma Health
50) Purfoods, LLC
52) Ryan, LLC
53) Samsara, Inc
55) Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
58) Tennessean's for Quality Early Education
59) Tennessee Fire Service Legislative Coalition
60) Thompson
62) tnAchieves
63) Tootsies Entertainment LLC
64) Traditio, LLC
68) Volkert, Inc.
69) Workday, Inc.
615-830-2875
1230 2nd Ave. South, Suite 2704, Nashville, TN, 37210,
3) Affordable Equity Partners, Inc.
4) American Beverage Association
5) American Federation for Children
8) BDO Government Services, LLC
10) BLVD Capital
11) Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation
13) Cavnue LLC
16) Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority
18) City of East Ridge, Tennessee
19) CodeCrew
20) Cummins Inc
21) East Tennessee Children's Hospital
22) Eric A. Gang & Associates, P.A.
24) Excellence in Education National, Inc. d/b/a Excellence in Education in Action
26) Fortune Brands Innovations
27) Giarratana, LLC
31) HORNE LLP
33) JPMorgan Chase Holdings, LLC
35) Kira Learning
38) Metropolitan Government of Nashville/ Davidson County
41) NASHVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
42) Nashville Teacher Residency
44) National Mentor Holdings, LLC
47) Palantir Technologies Inc.
48) PMI Global Services Inc., Swedish Match North America LLC, and Affiliates
49) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates
51) Prisma Health
52) Purfoods, LLC
54) Ryan, LLC
55) Samsara, Inc
57) Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
58) SharpRank
61) Tennessean's for Quality Early Education
62) Tennessee Fire Service Legislative Coalition
64) Thompson
66) tnAchieves
67) Tootsies Entertainment LLC
68) Traditio, LLC
73) Volkert, Inc.
74) Workday, Inc.
615-357-4923
1230 2nd Ave. South, Suite 2704, Nashville, TN, 37210,
3) Affordable Equity Partners, Inc.
4) American Beverage Association
5) American Federation for Children
8) BDO Government Services, LLC
10) BLVD Capital
11) Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation
13) Cavnue LLC
16) Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority
18) City of East Ridge, Tennessee
19) CodeCrew
20) Cummins Inc
21) East Tennessee Children's Hospital
23) Excellence in Education National, Inc. d/b/a Excellence in Education in Action
25) Giarratana, LLC
29) HORNE LLP
31) JPMorgan Chase Holdings, LLC
33) Kira Learning
38) NASHVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
39) Nashville Teacher Residency
41) National Mentor Holdings, LLC
44) Palantir Technologies Inc.
45) PMI Global Services Inc., Swedish Match North America LLC, and Affiliates
46) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates
48) Prisma Health
49) Purfoods, LLC
50) Reagan Outdoor Advertising
52) Ryan, LLC
54) Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
55) SharpRank
59) Tennessean's for Quality Early Education
60) Tennessee Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants
61) Tennessee Fire Service Legislative Coalition
62) TN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY
64) tnAchieves
65) Tootsies Entertainment LLC
69) Volkert, Inc.
70) Workday, Inc.
601-948-6020
200 North Congress Street, Suite 300, JACKSON, MS, 39201,
3) American Petroleum Institute
5) AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, LP and its Affiliates
6) Asurion
7) BDO Government Services, LLC
9) BetterLesson
10) Bitcoin Depot
11) Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation
13) CAG Holdings, Inc. LLC, a Carlyle Company Company Name
16) Centene Corporation on behalf of its affiliates and subsidiaries
17) Cicero Action
18) Community Health Center Association of Mississippi, Inc.
19) Data Recognition Corporation
20) Diamondhead Water & Sewer District
21) Drax Group
22) Equifax, Inc.
23) Ergon, Inc.
26) Fortinet, Inc.
28) Google LLC and its Affiliates
30) Hazel Health
31) HB Strategies on behalf of Good Rx
34) Intervest Corp.
36) Madison County Board of Supervisors
38) MedeAnalytics
39) Medical Transportation Management, Inc.
40) MedImpact Healthcare Systems, Inc.
41) Memorial Hospital at Gulfport
43) Mississippi Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
44) Mississippi Association of REALTORS
45) Mississippi Association of Self-Insurers
46) Mississippi Business Alliance
47) Mississippi Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians
48) Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board
49) Mississippi Consumer Finance Association
50) Mississippi Counseling Association
53) Mississippi Optometric Association
54) Mississippi Orthopaedic Society
55) Mississippi Physicians Care Network
56) Mississippi Public Broadcasting Foundation
57) Mississippi Section, American College of Obstertricians & Gynecologists
58) Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure
59) Money Service Business Association, Inc.
60) MS Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs
61) National Mentor Holdings, LLC
63) NextEra Energy Resources, LLC
66) OneImaging
67) Palantir Technologies Inc.
69) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates
71) Regional Medical Center (Regional One Health)
72) Republic Services of MS / BFI Waste Services LLC
74) Safety and Advocacy for Empowerment (SAFE) Coalition
75) Samsara Inc.
76) Scholastic Inc
78) Sharecare
80) Singing River Health System
81) SitelogIQ LLC
82) Southern Beverage Company, Inc.
83) Southern Renewable Energy Association
86) STChealth LLC
89) The Learning Internet, Inc. DBA Learning.com
91) The University of Southern Mississippi
92) Thrivist
93) Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
94) Turo Inc.
95) Twenty Labs, LLC dba Healthy Together
97) Unite USA Inc. (dba Unite Us)
98) Universal Health Services, Inc.
100) Wayne Halfway House, Inc.
101) Wonderschool
102) Workday
103) yes. every. kid
104) Youth Villages
615-598-4336
1230 2nd Ave S, Nashville, TN, 37210,
3) American Beverage Association
4) American Federation for Children
7) BDO Government Services, LLC
9) BLVD Capital
11) Cavnue LLC
14) Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority
16) City of East Ridge, Tennessee
17) CodeCrew
18) Cummins Inc
19) East Tennessee Children's Hospital
20) Eric A. Gang & Associates, P.A.
22) Excellence in Education National, Inc. d/b/a Excellence in Education in Action
23) Fortune Brands Innovations
24) Giarratana, LLC
27) HORNE LLP
28) JPMorgan Chase Holdings, LLC
30) Kira Learning
32) Metropolitan Government of Nashville/ Davidson County
34) Nashville Teacher Residency
36) National Mentor Holdings, LLC
39) Palantir Technologies Inc.
40) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates
42) Prisma Health
43) Purfoods, LLC
45) Ryan, LLC
46) Samsara, Inc
48) Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
51) Tennessean's for Quality Early Education
52) Tennessee Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants
53) Tennessee Fire Service Legislative Coalition
54) Thompson
56) tnAchieves
57) Tootsies Entertainment LLC
58) Traditio, LLC
59) Volkert, Inc.
60) Workday, Inc.
(617) 418-2200
150 Fayetteville Street, Suite 2800, Raleigh, NC, 27601,
