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.
12) Definium Therapeutics US, Inc.
14) Duke Energy Business Services LLC
15) Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Inc.
16) First Flight Venture Center, Inc.
17) FirstHealth of the Carolinas, Inc.
18) Fortinet, Inc
21) Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA
22) Granville County
24) ID.me, Inc.
26) Investors Title Insurance Company
27) Knoa Pharma LLC
28) Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.
29) Massage Envy -- North Carolina Region Co-op
30) Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company
31) NC Museum of Art Foundation
32) North Carolina Biotechnology Center
33) North Carolina Dental Society
34) North Carolina Oncology Association
35) North Carolina Railroad Company
36) North Carolina Society of Anesthesiologists
37) North Carolina Travel and Tourism Coalition
39) SailPoint Technologies, Inc.
40) SCI North Carolina Funeral Services, Inc.
41) ServiceNow, Inc.
42) South Granville Water and Sewer Authority
43) Upper Neuse River Basin Assoc., Inc.
44) 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)
(512)8316675
1400 Lavaca St., Suite 900, Austin, TX, 78701,
1) Audare Legacy Group, LLC aka Court Reform Action for Families Texas
2) BDO Government Services, LLC
5) Cogentrix Energy Power Management LLC
6) CommuniCare Technology, Inc. d/b/a Pulsara
10) Emergent Biosolutions, Inc.
11) Fortinet, Inc.
12) Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc.
13) L3Harris Technologies, Inc.
14) MetrixIQ LLC
15) Neuralink Corp.
16) Permian Strategic Partnership, Inc.
19) Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council
20) Space Exploration Technologies Corp.
21) Texan 1998 Real Property, LTD.
22) Texas Association of Voluntary Hospitals
25) Veterans Guardian VA Claim Consulting
26) Vitu, Inc.
601-948-6020
200 North Congress Street, Suite 300, JACKSON, MS, 39201,
3) American Petroleum Institute
4) Americans for Lower Drug Prices
6) AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, LP and its Affiliates
7) Asurion
8) BDO Government Services, LLC
10) BetterLesson
11) Bitcoin Depot
12) Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation
14) CAG Holdings, Inc. LLC, a Carlyle Company Company Name
17) Centene Corporation on behalf of its affiliates and subsidiaries
19) Cicero Action
20) Community Health Center Association of Mississippi, Inc.
21) Data Recognition Corporation
22) Delta Carbon USA
23) Diamondhead Water & Sewer District
24) Drax Group
25) Equifax, Inc.
26) Ergon, Inc.
29) Fortinet, Inc.
31) Google LLC and its Affiliates
33) Hazel Health
34) HB Strategies on behalf of Good Rx
37) Intervest Corp.
39) Madison County Board of Supervisors
41) MedeAnalytics
42) Medical Transportation Management, Inc.
43) MedImpact Healthcare Systems, Inc.
44) Memorial Hospital at Gulfport
46) Mississippi Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
47) Mississippi Association of REALTORS
48) Mississippi Association of Self-Insurers
49) Mississippi Business Alliance
50) Mississippi Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians
51) Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board
52) Mississippi Consumer Finance Association
53) Mississippi Counseling Association
56) Mississippi Optometric Association
57) Mississippi Orthopaedic Society
58) Mississippi Physicians Care Network
59) Mississippi Public Broadcasting Foundation
60) Mississippi Section, American College of Obstertricians & Gynecologists
61) Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure
62) Money Service Business Association, Inc.
63) MS Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs
64) National Mentor Holdings, LLC
66) NextEra Energy Resources, LLC
69) OneImaging
70) Palantir Technologies Inc.
72) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates
74) Regional Medical Center (Regional One Health)
75) Republic Services of MS / BFI Waste Services LLC
77) Safety and Advocacy for Empowerment (SAFE) Coalition
78) Samsara Inc.
79) Scholastic Inc
81) Sharecare
83) SimpliGov LLC
84) Singing River Health System
85) SitelogIQ LLC
86) Southern Beverage Company, Inc.
87) Southern Renewable Energy Association
90) STChealth LLC
94) The Learning Internet, Inc. DBA Learning.com
96) The University of Southern Mississippi
97) Thrivist
98) Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
99) Turo Inc.
100) Twenty Labs, LLC dba Healthy Together
102) Unite USA Inc. (dba Unite Us)
103) Universal Health Services, Inc.
105) Wayne Halfway House, Inc.
106) Wonderschool
107) Workday
108) yes. every. kid
109) Youth Villages
(617) 418-2200
150 Fayetteville Street, Suite 2800, Raleigh, NC, 27601,
