Kathleen Nicholas is a senior government affairs specialist in the firm's Washington, D.C. office. She assists clients on policy issues related to the energy, environment, agriculture, and technology sectors. Ms. Nicholas also manages the D.C. office's team of government affairs specialists and the Lloyd Meeds Fellowship Program.

Mr. Valentine represents a wide variety of clients in a broad range of legislative, regulatory, administrative, litigation and government enforcement matters before the federal government. His clients include major corporations, trade associations and business coalitions. He has also represented a number of prominent individuals, including a federal judge in her personal capacity and the prime minister of a foreign government.

Legislative Counsel with respect to enabling and appropriations legislation creating a $30 million public-private partnership with the Department of Energy for a shared-services platform in the solar sector. Transaction counsel was also provided with respect to the contract negotiations and IP terms for the P3 agreement.

Government contracts counsel for a consortium of traditional and non-traditional defense contractors respecting a $100 million sole source 10 U.S.C. §2371, Section 845 Other Transaction Authority (OTA), contract vehicle issued by the Department of Defense ("DoD").
Site selection counsel for a nano-technology company looking to stand-up its first commercial manufacturing facility that focused on investments by local, state, and federal stakeholders. The engagement resulted in identifying three suitable jurisdictions, an ensuing "bake-off" of incentive packages (e.g., direct funding, tax incentives, work force development funds, land grants), a down selection process, and final negotiation of award.

Business development counsel on behalf of an ad hoc consortium of domestic semi-conductor companies seeking to reform the DoD/NSA Trusted Foundry Program in anticipation of unlocking hundreds-of-millions of dollars of government procurement opportunities for the consortium members.

Legislative counsel on behalf of several clients looking to access various measures within the Energy Tax Code (e.g., PTC, ITC, MLP) to which they were not entitled because they did not meet the technical requirements of the Energy Tax Code. Successful stand-alone legislation and amendment adoption have been resultant outcomes.

Counselor and advisor with respect to several campaigns regarding election disputes (e.g., Presidential contest recounts) and ballot access (e.g., ballot eligibility). Advising congressional candidates on statutory disclosures/reporting as well as seeking exemptions before relevant congressional committees and agencies.

Advisor and counselor to clients testifying/appearing before various congressional committees, including committees with jurisdiction over tax, appropriations, science & technology and financial services.

Legislative and regulatory counsel for an international fiber-optic cable company where various federal agencies were placing the company's assets in harms-way due to policy/regulatory decision making. Congressional and inter-industry negotiations successfully addressed the issue within congressional legislation.

Counsel to a client company's directors and officers during a wind down and asset disposition of a major federal contracting award, where D&O exposure and government "claw-back" became a significant impediment to the transaction. Liability and adverse public exposure on behalf of the D&O was successfully averted.

Before joining the firm, Mr. Leibham was a prosecutor on behalf of the State of California and was also in private practice where he counseled small business clients on a wide range of matters (e.g., HR, tax/audit reporting, real/personal property, general corporate, among other matters). Mr. Leibham worked as a senior aide to Rep. Gary Ackerman (NY) and Rep. Neil Abercrombie (HI) in the U.S. House of Representatives and was also a Western Regional Director for the Democratic National Committee in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s.

Mr. Kirk enjoyed a distinguished career as a Congressional staff member, including positions as an advisor to Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) and as a senior staff member of the House Ways and Means Committee including serving as Staff Director of the Committee's Oversight panel then chaired by Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY). He serves on the steering committee of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Political Action Committee (PAC).

Mr. Potter is a government affairs analyst at K&L Gates and focuses on federal policy. He represents corporate, trade association and non-profit clients on a wide range of issues before both houses of Congress as well as the Executive Branch. He works with the firm's clients and lobbyists to design and implement legislative strategies and proposals to develop Congressional and grassroots support for client priorities and counsels clients with regard to advocating issues before Congress. He has assisted numerous clients in securing and increasing federal funding for priorities ranging from development of energy efficient technologies to security preparedness.

For nine years, Mr. Potter has served as the pro bono government affairs advisor to the USA Science & Engineering Festival, the nation's largest effort to attract America's youth to careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Under his leadership, the Festival's inaugural Washington, D.C. Expo in 2010 featured the participation of 50 federal government agencies. That year, the U.S. Senate and House unanimously passed resolutions of support for the Festival. The most recent Festival Expo in 2018 included over 80 federal agency participants.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Potter worked on the staff of Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX) where he focused on health care and Social Security policy.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Garland worked at McBee Strategic Consulting in Washington, D.C., where he focused on transportation and telecommunications issues.

Before joining the private sector, Mr. Garland served in the United States Senate from 2014-2016. In 2015, he worked with the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, where he helped the minority education policy team secure passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

Prior to his committee work for Ranking Member Patty Murray, he served in the office of Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey. While with Senator Booker's office, Mr. Garland collaborated with senior legislative staff on a portfolio that included education, consumer protection, transportation, and telecommunications policies.