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) FirstHealth of the Carolinas, Inc.
16) Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA
17) Granville County
19) ID.me, Inc.
21) Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.
22) Massage Envy -- North Carolina Region Co-op
23) Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company
24) NC Museum of Art Foundation
25) North Carolina Biotechnology Center
26) North Carolina Dental Society
27) North Carolina Oncology Association
28) North Carolina Railroad Company
29) North Carolina Society of Anesthesiologists
30) North Carolina Travel and Tourism Coalition
32) Purdue Pharma LP
33) SailPoint Technologies, Inc.
34) SCI North Carolina Funeral Services, Inc.
35) ServiceNow, Inc.
36) South Granville Water and Sewer Authority
37) 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
7) BDO Government Services, LLC
9) BLVD Capital
10) Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation
12) Cavnue LLC
15) 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) Giarratana, LLC
27) HORNE LLP
29) JPMorgan Chase Holdings, LLC
31) Kira Learning
34) Metropolitan Government of Nashville/ Davidson County
37) Nashville Teacher Residency
39) National Mentor Holdings, LLC
42) Palantir Technologies Inc.
43) PMI Global Services Inc., Swedish Match North America LLC, and Affiliates
44) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates
46) Prisma Health
47) Purfoods, LLC
49) Ryan, LLC
50) Samsara, Inc
52) Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
55) Tennessean's for Quality Early Education
56) Tennessee Fire Service Legislative Coalition
58) tnAchieves
59) Tootsies Entertainment LLC
63) Volkert, Inc.
64) 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
7) BDO Government Services, LLC
9) BLVD Capital
10) Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation
12) Cavnue LLC
15) 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
24) Fortune Brands Innovations
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
55) SharpRank
58) Tennessean's for Quality Early Education
59) Tennessee Fire Service Legislative Coalition
62) tnAchieves
63) Tootsies Entertainment LLC
68) Volkert, Inc.
69) 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
7) BDO Government Services, LLC
9) BLVD Capital
10) Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation
12) Cavnue LLC
15) Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority
16) City of East Ridge, Tennessee
17) CodeCrew
18) Cummins Inc
19) East Tennessee Children's Hospital
21) Excellence in Education National, Inc. d/b/a Excellence in Education in Action
23) Giarratana, LLC
27) HORNE LLP
29) JPMorgan Chase Holdings, LLC
31) Kira Learning
36) Nashville Teacher Residency
38) National Mentor Holdings, LLC
41) Palantir Technologies Inc.
42) PMI Global Services Inc., Swedish Match North America LLC, and Affiliates
43) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates
45) Prisma Health
46) Purfoods, LLC
47) Reagan Outdoor Advertising
49) Ryan, LLC
50) Samsara, Inc
52) Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
53) SharpRank
57) Tennessean's for Quality Early Education
58) Tennessee Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants
59) Tennessee Fire Service Legislative Coalition
60) TN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY
62) tnAchieves
63) Tootsies Entertainment LLC
67) Volkert, Inc.
68) 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
12) CAG Holdings, Inc. LLC, a Carlyle Company Company Name
15) Centene Corporation on behalf of its affiliates and subsidiaries
16) Cicero Action
17) Community Health Center Association of Mississippi, Inc.
18) Data Recognition Corporation
19) Diamondhead Water & Sewer District
20) Drax Group
21) Equifax, Inc.
22) Ergon, Inc.
25) Fortinet, Inc.
27) Google LLC and its Affiliates
29) Hazel Health
32) Intervest Corp.
34) LS Power Midcontinent, LLC
35) Madison County Board of Supervisors
37) MedeAnalytics
38) Medical Transportation Management, Inc.
39) MedImpact Healthcare Systems, Inc.
40) Memorial Hospital at Gulfport
41) Mississippi Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
42) Mississippi Association of REALTORS
43) Mississippi Association of Self-Insurers
44) Mississippi Business Alliance
45) Mississippi Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians
46) Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board
49) Mississippi Economic Development Council, Inc.
50) Mississippi Healthcare Collaborative
51) Mississippi Optometric Association
52) Mississippi Orthopaedic Society
53) Mississippi Physicians Care Network
54) Mississippi Public Broadcasting Foundation
55) Mississippi Section, American College of Obstertricians & Gynecologists
56) Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure
57) Money Service Business Association, Inc.
58) MS Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs
59) NextEra Energy Resources, LLC
62) OneImaging
64) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates
66) Regional Medical Center (Regional One Health)
67) Republic Services of MS / BFI Waste Services LLC
68) Samsara Inc.
69) Scholastic Inc
71) Sharecare
72) Singing River Health System
73) SitelogIQ LLC
74) Southern Beverage Company, Inc.
75) Southern Renewable Energy Association
78) STChealth LLC
81) The Learning Internet, Inc. DBA Learning.com
83) The University of Southern Mississippi
84) Thrivist
85) Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
86) Turo Inc.
87) Twenty Labs, LLC dba Healthy Together
89) Unite USA Inc. (dba Unite Us)
90) Universal Health Services, Inc.
93) Wonderschool
94) Workday
95) yes. every. kid
96) Youth Villages
615-598-4336
1230 2nd Ave S, Nashville, TN, 37210,
3) American Beverage Association
4) American Federation for Children
6) BDO Government Services, LLC
8) BLVD Capital
10) Cavnue LLC
13) Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority
14) City of East Ridge, Tennessee
15) CodeCrew
16) Cummins Inc
17) East Tennessee Children's Hospital
18) Eric A. Gang & Associates, P.A.
20) Excellence in Education National, Inc. d/b/a Excellence in Education in Action
21) Fortune Brands Innovations
22) Giarratana, LLC
25) HORNE LLP
26) JPMorgan Chase Holdings, LLC
28) Kira Learning
30) Metropolitan Government of Nashville/ Davidson County
32) Nashville Teacher Residency
34) National Mentor Holdings, LLC
37) Palantir Technologies Inc.
38) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates
40) Prisma Health
41) Purfoods, LLC
43) Ryan, LLC
44) Samsara, Inc
46) Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
49) Tennessean's for Quality Early Education
50) Tennessee Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants
51) Tennessee Fire Service Legislative Coalition
53) tnAchieves
54) Tootsies Entertainment LLC
55) Volkert, Inc.
56) Workday, Inc.
(207) 615-2053
150 Fayetteville Street, Suite 2800, Raleigh, NC, 27601,
