0-5 years

U.S. Senate; U.S. House of Representatives; Illinois Department of Transportation

Before joining the firm, Greg Bales worked for U.S. Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin for more than a decade, serving as senior advisor in the Senator's government office as well as his campaign manager for his 2020 reelection. During his time with the Senator, he oversaw special projects throughout Illinois, and worked as a liaison to elected officials, businesses, community organizations, and other constituencies across the state.

Prior to joining Senator Durbin's staff, Greg worked as a policy advisor for the Illinois Department of Transportation. He was a staffer for former Illinois Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson, and he has worked on numerous political campaigns in California, Illinois, and Indiana. Before managing Senator Durbin's recent reelection, Greg took leave to elect Illinois Congressman Sean Casten to his first term in 2018, and served as Illinois state director for Secretary Hillary Clinton's 2016 Presidential campaign.

Greg's relationships span across the state, including the Illinois Congressional delegation, the Illinois General Assembly, City of Chicago, Cook County government, and in numerous municipalities and local units of government. Greg has concentrated on infrastructure funding, economic development, and earmarks. He has worked with Illinois General Assembly leadership on legislative language to ensure millions of dollars in federal funding for election security were allocated to cybersecurity; managed multi-million-dollar campaign budgets; pitched stories and gone on the record with the media; and lobbied for state funding for public transit.

6-10 years

James Sherwood is a senior vice president with McGuireWoods Consulting, and counsel with McGuireWoods LLP. Prior to joining the firm, he served as deputy legal counsel and ethics officer in the Illinois House of Representatives. James assists clients on a range of issues, including data privacy and security, worker classification and the gig economy, electrification of the transportation sector and the affordable housing crisis. He also counsels clients on various tax incentive programs. Most recently, he assisted an international data center client in obtaining a tax incentive for data centers located in Illinois.

As deputy legal counsel, James advised legislators on a variety of matters, including legislation that overhauled the state's energy policies, transitioned Illinois to a statewide 9-1-1 system and dealt with the increase in heroin and opiate abuse. In his role as ethics officer, James ensured members were apprised of their duties under Illinois ethics laws and regulations, and advised members to ensure compliance therewith.

James also serves as a board member on the Public Policy Committee for the Illinois Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.