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) Community Care of North Carolina, Inc.
10) DaVita, Inc.
12) Duke Energy Business Services LLC
13) Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Inc.
14) FirstHealth of the Carolinas, Inc.
17) Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA
18) Granville County
20) ID.me, Inc.
22) Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.
23) Massage Envy -- North Carolina Region Co-op
24) Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company
25) NC Museum of Art Foundation
26) North Carolina Biotechnology Center
27) North Carolina Dental Society
28) North Carolina Oncology Association
29) North Carolina Railroad Company
30) North Carolina Society of Anesthesiologists
31) North Carolina Travel and Tourism Coalition
33) Purdue Pharma LP
34) SailPoint Technologies, Inc.
35) SCI North Carolina Funeral Services, Inc.
36) ServiceNow, Inc.
37) South Granville Water and Sewer Authority
38) Upper Neuse River Basin Assoc., Inc.
39) 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 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
51) Ryan, LLC
52) Samsara, Inc
54) Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
57) Tennessean's for Quality Early Education
58) Tennessee Fire Service Legislative Coalition
60) tnAchieves
61) Tootsies Entertainment LLC
65) Volkert, Inc.
66) 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 Teacher Residency
43) National Mentor Holdings, LLC
46) Palantir Technologies Inc.
47) PMI Global Services Inc., Swedish Match North America LLC, and Affiliates
48) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates
50) Prisma Health
51) Purfoods, LLC
53) Ryan, LLC
54) Samsara, Inc
56) Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
57) SharpRank
60) Tennessean's for Quality Early Education
61) Tennessee Fire Service Legislative Coalition
64) tnAchieves
65) Tootsies Entertainment LLC
70) Volkert, Inc.
71) 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 Teacher Residency
40) National Mentor Holdings, LLC
43) Palantir Technologies Inc.
44) PMI Global Services Inc., Swedish Match North America LLC, and Affiliates
45) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates
47) Prisma Health
48) Purfoods, LLC
49) Reagan Outdoor Advertising
51) Ryan, LLC
53) Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
54) SharpRank
58) Tennessean's for Quality Early Education
59) Tennessee Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants
60) Tennessee Fire Service Legislative Coalition
61) TN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY
63) tnAchieves
64) Tootsies Entertainment LLC
68) Volkert, Inc.
69) 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
51) Mississippi Economic Development Council, Inc.
52) Mississippi Healthcare Collaborative
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) NextEra Energy Resources, LLC
64) OneImaging
66) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates
68) Regional Medical Center (Regional One Health)
69) Republic Services of MS / BFI Waste Services LLC
70) Safety and Advocacy for Empowerment (SAFE) Coalition
71) Samsara Inc.
72) Scholastic Inc
74) Sharecare
75) Singing River Health System
76) SitelogIQ LLC
77) Southern Beverage Company, Inc.
78) Southern Renewable Energy Association
81) STChealth LLC
84) The Learning Internet, Inc. DBA Learning.com
86) The University of Southern Mississippi
87) Thrivist
88) Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
89) Turo Inc.
90) Twenty Labs, LLC dba Healthy Together
92) Unite USA Inc. (dba Unite Us)
93) Universal Health Services, Inc.
96) Wonderschool
97) Workday
98) yes. every. kid
99) 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
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
55) tnAchieves
56) Tootsies Entertainment LLC
57) Volkert, Inc.
58) Workday, Inc.
(207) 615-2053
150 Fayetteville Street, Suite 2800, Raleigh, NC, 27601,
